Teacher's Pet
by Lucinders
Summary: AU: Owen Hunt is a widower with three children. His oldest, Christopher, a fifth grader, has a new teacher this year, Miss Yang. Christopher develops a huge crush on Miss Yang.
1. Chapter 1 Christopher

Ten-year-old Christopher Hunt was extremely excited. It was his first day of the fifth grade and he had heard that they were getting a new teacher for the class. Old Mr. Fletcher, who had been the fifth grade teacher, had retired at the end of the last academic year. Christopher was glad because Mr. Fletcher had been known to be quite a grumpy old guy.

"Dad, hurry up," he said. His father, Owen Hunt, smiled as he gave him a quick glance.

"We will get there soon enough, Christopher," Owen said. He looked around at his two younger children sitting in the back seat, eight-year-old Hayley and six-year-old Griffin. Hayley was entering the third grade and Griffin was going to be in the first grade. For the first time, Owen's three children were all going to the same school. For that, he was grateful because he didn't have to go to different places to drop them off. It was hard being a widowed dad because he had to be both a mom and dad to his kids. All three of his kids had his coloring – strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. People immediately knew that they were his children, when they saw them together.

"We're going to get there soon enough," Owen said. "Why are you so excited?"

"We're getting a new teacher for the fifth grade since Mr. Fletcher retired. I am dying to find out who it is," Christopher said. "I have to see if he or she is nice."

"Oh, alright," Owen said. "That's fine. I am just glad to see you be so enthusiastic about school. This might mean we are getting better grades this year." He pulled up in front of the school. "So here we are. Griffin, do you need me to take you to class?"

"Don't worry, dad, I will do it," Hayley said. "His class is on the way to mine." She unbuckled herself and also undid her younger brother's seatbelt.

"Thank you, Hayley, you are a very thoughtful sister," Owen said. "Okay, so I am off to work, now. I will pick you guys up. Molly will be waiting for you guys with a snack." Molly was Owen's housekeeper. He had hired her after his wife, Emmalyn, had died two years ago in a 10-car pile-up on the highway.

"Bye, dad," the three children said, as they got out of the car. Owen waved as he drove off.

Hayley took Griffin's hand and they went off to the first grade class. Christopher headed into a different direction to the fifth grade classroom. It seemed that he was not the only one who was excited about the new teacher. Almost everyone was there. Thankfully, he was still able to get a second row seat. He didn't like to sit at the back because he found himself drifting in class. He didn't like the front row because the teacher could easily spot you and ask you a question and if you didn't know the answer, you would be embarrassed. The second row was close enough to the front but you could still hide behind someone, in case you didn't know the answer.

Christopher was at best a B-plus student. He was very good but never excellent. His fourth-grade teacher had told his Dad that Christopher could be a straight A student, if he applied himself a little bit more. He and Dad had a long conversation about that and it was agreed that he was going to make a better effort, this academic year. If he lived up to his potential, Dad had promised that they would go to Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando, next summer. His brother and sister were counting on him so he knew he had to buckle down and get better grades.

When the bell rang, everyone settled down into their seats in great anticipation. Everyone hoped that the new teacher would be a great improvement on Mr. Fletcher. They all watched the turn of the doorknob. When the small Asian woman entered the room, there was an audible gasp from Christopher. She was so pretty with her head of glossy dark curls and smooth skin. She wore a short, slim fitting skirt, which showed off her curvy rear end as well as highlighted her slim legs. She came in and placed her bag and books on the table at the front of the class. She didn't say anything at first but wrote her name on the board.

"Cristina Yang," Christopher read the name. He wrote it down in his notebook. The teacher turned around and gave them a radiant smile. Christopher felt like all of the other fifth-graders had disappeared from the room and she was only smiling at him.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Cristina Yang and I am your new fifth grade teacher. As you can see, I wrote my name on the board, mainly because I want you to get my first name right. I know that the name Cristina commonly has an 'h' in it but not mine. It is the Spanish or Italian way of spelling the name, in case you wanted to know why it is spelled that way.

"I am very pleased to be here and I am sure we are going to have a great time together this year. I am going to tell you a little about myself. Then, we can go around the class and everyone will tell me a little about themselves. Okay, let me start. I am originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I went to school at the University of Pennsylvania. I am 26 years old and I have been teaching for four years. I wanted a new adventure so I got this job here in Laguna Beach, California. I always wanted to see California and here I am.

"Let me see what I like to do. I like to read and I hope everyone here does. I love going to the movies every weekend. I like going on long drives and exploring a new place. That's enough about me. So let's start going around the class, starting from the back. The boy in the yellow t-shirt, what's your name?"

"Kyle Redmond, Miss Yang," the boy said. Then he started to tell everyone about himself. Christopher thought about what he was going to say. He could talk about his family and his dog. He was still thinking when Miss Yang spoke to him.

"Okay, the boy in the blue t-shirt, reddish-blonde hair," Miss Yang said.

"Oh, me," Christopher said. "I am Christopher Hunt. I have a little sister, Hayley who is in third grade and a little brother, Griffin who is starting first grade. My dad's name is Owen and he owns a construction company. I have a dog named Stella. She is a Welsh corgi just like what the British queen has. I like to play video games and baseball. I also like to skateboard. Oh yeah, I also like to read." He gave his teacher a big grin.

"Nice to meet you, Christopher," Miss Yang said. "And I am so pleased that you like to read, too." She had noticed that the young boy had not mentioned anything about his mother. She assumed that his mother was no longer in the picture, possibly divorced or dead.

Christopher could not stop smiling. He felt he had done a good job. He was in such a good mood that all he wanted to do was to stare at his teacher. He didn't hear a word about what the other children said about themselves.

After everyone was done, Miss Yang started talking about schoolwork and what she expected from all of them. She said she would treat them with respect and she would like them to do the same for her. She said that she would hope that each student tried their best and if they needed help, she was more than willing to do so. She said that she wanted her classroom to be a collaborative effort, that everyone was a team and should be willing to help one another.

With that, she started the day with a reading comprehension exercise. Christopher was more attentive than he had ever been in class. He had a goofy smile on his face for the entire morning session. At lunchtime, Rufus asked him why he was in such a good mood for the first day of school.

"Oh, my God, Rufus, did you not see Miss Yang?" Christopher asked, breathless.

"Yes, I did. That was a helluva improvement over Old Man Fletcher," Rufus said. "She will make fifth grade a lot more interesting." Rufus had a wicked grin on his face as he said the word "interesting." Christopher did not like that grin. In fact, he wanted to wipe that grin off Rufus' face.

Miss Yang is mine, Christopher thought. After all, their names were Christopher and Cristina – two names that matched, even if she didn't have an "h" in her name. Never mind that she was 16 years older than him, that wasn't a problem. She would wait until he grew up and then they could get married, he thought.

"Hmm," Christopher said, disgustedly. That Rufus could be so rude, sometimes. He wondered why he tolerated him.

He looked around the lunchroom. He saw Hayley with her friends in one corner and also, Griffin sitting with two other boys. He was glad that Griffin had found friends, already. At least, he wouldn't be trailing after him, like Hayley did, when she started first grade. That was a total pain, when people kept asking him why his little sister was following him. Talia Blackstone was waving at him from her table, so Christopher waved back. He had known Talia since kindergarten and they were friends.

In the afternoon session, the class focused on math, which was one of Christopher's best subjects. He proudly volunteered to do a problem on the board and when he had done it correctly, Miss Yang complimented him. He felt ecstatic, as he walked back to his second row desk. He wondered if any of the kids on the first row would exchange desks with him. Maybe, Talia would be nice enough to change seats with him. The brunette girl turned around and smiled at him, so he smiled back.

Christopher almost regretted when the final school bell rang. "Okay, kids, before you go, just remember to read Chapter 1 of your history book," Miss Yang said. "We will discuss it tomorrow."

As all of the other children filed out of the classroom, Christopher went to the Miss Yang's desk. "Thank you for a good first day, Miss Yang," he said, a little shyly. "I am glad that you are my teacher."

"You're welcome, Christopher. Have a lovely evening. I will see you tomorrow," Miss Yang said. When she smiled, Christopher felt like he was bathed in sunshine.

"Bye," Christopher replied.

"Bye," Miss Yang said.

Christopher left the room with the biggest grin on his face. He felt a certain lightness of step. There was a song in his heart. When he came out of the school, he saw his dad with Hayley and Griffin.

"Hey," Owen said. "We've been waiting for you. Just going to drop you guys off and then I am headed back to work." The three children climbed into the vehicle and Owen took off, almost immediately.

"So how was your first day, kids?" Owen asked.

"Good," Griffin said. "I made two friends, today."

"Great," Hayley said. "I learned a new word today – monumental. "

"That's great, kids. What about you, Christopher?" Owen asked his oldest child.

"It was monumental, dad," he said, using the word that Hayley had learnt. "We met our new teacher today, Dad. Miss Yang. She is 26 years old. Her first name is Cristina but without an 'h.' She is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She's real pretty, too."

"Ah, it seems like we like our new teacher," Owen said. "That's good. Maybe she will help you to bring your grades up."

"Yes, dad, I like her," Christopher said. In his mind, he added, "very much." He wondered if Miss Yang liked nectarines. He was looking forward to his second day of school.

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. This is a new story and I would appreciate the feedback on whether this should be continued.**


	2. Chapter 2 Cristina

Cristina Yang stepped through the front doors of St Michael's School. It was her second day of teaching at the school. She had enjoyed her first day of teaching and was looking forward to continuing for the rest of the term. The children had all seemed eager and willing to learn. At least that was what she hoped.

She headed first to the teachers' lounge to grab a cup of coffee. There were a couple of other teachers there. Each of them smiled at her, as she entered. There was a young woman, having her coffee in the corner of the room, who beckoned her to join. Cristina made herself a cup of coffee before having a seat at the corner table with the woman.

"Hi, glad you could join me," the dark-haired young woman said. "I am Delia Murray. I teach fourth grade. I didn't meet you yesterday, when you first came. Since we are the two youngest teachers here, I thought we should get to know each other. I am 26 and I am guessing you are around that."

"Hi, Delia. I am Cristina Yang," Cristina said, offering her hand to Delia to shake. The two women shook hands. "Good to meet you."

"So you took over from Old Man Fletcher," Delia said, with a grin. "He was practically an institution around here. He was actually the vice-principal at one time, then he retired, and they took him back on contract for one year to teach fifth grade. Well, you now have what used to be my fourth grade class."

"Yes, I have. Anything you need to tell me about them, so I will be prepared for their little tricks," Cristina asked, as she took a sip of her coffee. She was taken aback by how good the coffee tasted. Usually, coffee in the teachers' lounges, usually tasted like a step above dishwater. Well, at least in the ones in the schools where she worked. "Wow, good coffee."

"Well, that is Mrs. Bennett's doing. She is the sixth grade teacher. We are lucky to have her around to make this great coffee. Also, Mr. Stevens, the third grade teacher, has a wife, who loves to bake. So we can usually get cookies, pastries and muffins on a daily basis. We all chip in for a petty cash so that Mrs. Stevens will be able to buy the ingredients for her baked goodies," Delia said.

"That sounds wonderful," Cristina said, picking up a blueberry muffin in the basket in front of her. "Let me know when you are collecting for the petty cash."

"Will do. As for the kids in your class, they are a good bunch, overall. There are a couple of jokesters. Watch out for Rufus Jeffries – he loves to play pranks and is generally a class clown. Talia Blackstone is a very helpful girl. Loves to help out with the administrative side of things. She is also quite bright. Tommy Roberts is lazy so he doesn't make much of an effort but I know he can do the work. Christopher Hunt is also another one to watch but he is different from Tommy in that he isn't lazy but he does just enough to get a good grade and to get by. Right now, he is averaging a B-plus but with just a little more effort, Christopher could be an A student. I just think he needs a little bit of motivation. I will tell you more about the rest, as the days go by," Delia said.

"Thanks for the info. That was very helpful," Cristina said, finishing up her muffin.

"So tell me about yourself. Where are you from and why did you come to Laguna Beach?" Delia asked. "Most of us here are from somewhere else."

"Oh, I am originally from Philadelphia. I went to school at there at UPenn. My great aunt Soo-jung died and left me this classic Laguna Beach cottage with a great view of the ocean. I was trying to escape a bad relationship and it seemed coming to Laguna Beach was a great chance to start over. To start anew," Cristina said. "I needed to do that."

"Oh, yeah, those bad relationships can be a killer," Delia said. "So if we are starting fresh, maybe we can check out a local bar this weekend and see what is out there. You know there are some pretty handsome beach guys around here. All blonde and tanned. We're not looking for relationships, just someone we could have fun with," Cristina laughed. She wasn't really ready for a next relationship after her last one ended so badly but there was nothing wrong with looking.

"That's a date, Delia," she said. The young woman grinned back at her.

"We are going to have a good time, Cristina," Delia said. "Finally, I have someone at work I can hang out with. Thank God the board hired you, Cristina Yang."

"Thank God the board hired me, too or I wouldn't have any money. Anyway, I think I better go to class and see the inhabitants," Cristina said. "I will see you at lunchtime." She got up and headed to her classroom, pondering about what she had just told Delia about her bad relationship. It wasn't a lie but it wasn't the whole truth. Scott was her boyfriend, whom she had dated for two years. Scott was a charmer but also a serial cheater. The first time he had cheated, she had forgiven him and to her, everything seemed fine, until one of her friends had told her that she had seen him holding hands with a blonde woman in a restaurant.

She confronted him and he admitted that it was true. He also admitted that there had been a third woman. That was the final straw. She kicked him out of her apartment and told him never to come back. He begged but she turned a deaf ear. When news came of her inheritance of the house in Laguna Beach, she made up her mind, there and then, that she was going to leave Philadelphia to move to this seaside town. She sold all of her furniture and left Philly with only her clothes, her academic diplomas and a few precious personal belongings and moved into her great-aunt's cottage. The place came fully furnished and she realized that Soo-jung loved the beachy lifestyle, judging from the furnishings. It was a far cry from her Philly apartment but she knew that it was what she liked about it. The view of the ocean was incredible, as she often marveled every morning how lucky she was to be living there.

She got this job at the school after a couple of interviews with the school board and the principal. She had been a teacher in Philadelphia of a seventh grade class but she didn't mind teaching the younger children. In fact, it was refreshing.

As she entered the class, all of the children scrambled to get into their seats. She noticed that there was a bright, shiny, ripe nectarine on her desk. It was neatly wrapped in a pretty pink napkin. She wondered which of the children had left it there for her. She looked around the class and knew, immediately. It was the boy with the reddish-blonde hair in the second row. He had the biggest smile that had enveloped his whole face. What was his name again? Oh, yes, his name was Christopher Hunt. She remembered what Daphne had said about him. All he needed was some motivation and he would be a straight A student. She smiled back at him.

It was a lively morning session, with the children actively participating in the lesson. Cristina was a wonderful teacher, who offered lots of encouragement to the students. She never chided anyone if they got something wrong. Instead, she turned it into a learning opportunity. The children were all eager to learn and please their teacher.

The session was going so well that when the bell rang for the break, there was a collective groan in the classroom. To hear that sound made Cristina feel very gratified that she was doing a great job.

"We will continue after the break," Cristina said. As the children filed out of the classroom to head to the school playground, one child stayed behind.

"Miss Yang," Christopher said, shyly.

"Christopher, why don't you go out and play with the rest of the children? You could grab something to eat or drink, too. You don't have to stay in here with your boring, old teacher," she said. She picked up the nectarine and bit into it. "And thank you for this nectarine. It tastes delicious."

"You knew it was me?" Christopher said, his face lit up that she had figured out that it was him.

"Yes," she said. "But you know that you can't make this a habit. I can't be expecting gifts from my students, no matter how delicious this is. Thank you very much for this, though. I am quite hungry and I am grateful."

"Okay, Miss Yang. I am glad that you like it," he said. Christopher could not stop smiling.

"Run along now," she said. "I will see you back here in 15 minutes." As Christopher left, Cristina savored the rest of the nectarine.

* * *

After school, Cristina headed to the local Whole Foods supermarket. She needed only to get a couple of things but found herself lingering in the aisles. She loved shopping at Whole Foods – there was always something new to discover. After lingering a lot longer than she should, she went to the cashiers to check out. Then, she saw him.

He was at a cashier, a couple of lanes away. He was a strawberry blonde man, who seemed to have an awful lot of groceries. There was something familiar about him but she didn't know why. She was certain that she had never met him before. She certainly would have remembered such a tall, handsome man. She spent the next five minute observing him, trying to offload all of his groceries from his trolley. It was rather pleasant viewing, she thought. She wondered what he would like if he were shirtless. She already had the image in her mind.

The cashier's voice broke her out of her reverie, "$64.72. Will that be cash or card?" Cristina shook herself to break herself from her daydream. She dug into her purse and pulled out $65.00 and handed it to the cashier. All the while, she continued to steal glances at the man.

It was during one of those stolen glances that the man looked up and saw her, staring at him. Their eyes met and they both broke out in a smile. Cristina felt a little sheepish at having been caught but it was clear that the man did not mind her looking at him, since he was smiling back at her. They both began flirting with each other with their eyes.

"Here is your change, miss," the cashier said, handing Cristina her 28 cents change.

"Thank you," she said but she really wasn't listening to the cashier but still staring at the man, a couple of lanes away. Then, she saw it. He was wearing a wedding ring. Her expression changed, immediately, and then she quickly turned away. She picked up her bags and headed out of the grocery.

The man had noticed her sudden change of expression and he wondered what had just happened. He then realized that she had seen his wedding ring. He wanted to chase after her to explain why he was wearing a wedding ring but he couldn't really leave the cashier, since he was halfway through checking out his groceries.

When he finally got out of the supermarket, he looked around the parking lot for the small Asian girl with the head of ebony curls. But she was nowhere in sight. She had probably left, already.

"Damn it!" Owen said. He was indeed a frustrated man.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. I really do appreciate when you leave your reviews. I got 31 reviews for my first chapter. That's a record for me. Thank you very much. I hope you continue leaving reviews, please. **


	3. Chapter 3 Owen

Owen was frustrated. He had hoped that Asian girl would still be out in the parking lot. He packed away his groceries into his vehicle, wanting to kick himself.

He had noticed the girl looking at him in the supermarket. He was very flattered. She was quite pretty so he found himself flirting back. He was going to introduce himself, as soon as he was done paying for his groceries. He thought maybe he could have asked her for a cup of coffee. But then, she saw his wedding ring and quickly left.

As he got into his car to drive back home, he couldn't help but think of his missed opportunity. He banged his steering wheel with his hand. His wedding ring glinted in the sunlight. Even though it had been two years since Emmalyn had passed in the 10-car pile-up on the highway, he had found himself unable to take off the ring. He had loved Emmalyn very much. They were college sweethearts and had met as freshmen. It was in their senior year that they had found out that she was pregnant. They married soon after graduation and Christopher was born. Then, came Hayley and then, Griffin. They were quite happy.

His father had given him the capital to start his construction company and though the early years were lean, he soon built up a reputation and his construction business was booming. He was known for having built some of the most magnificent homes around Laguna Beach. His own home was one that he and his workers had built themselves. It had a wonderful view of the ocean. He and Emmalyn had envisioned bringing up their three children in that home and then growing old together, when their children had left and started their own families. That was their plan.

But, in life, plans often don't work out. It was during the summertime, two years ago, that Emmalyn died. Owen was planning a party for his major clients and Emmalyn and her friend, Virginia, had driven to Los Angeles to shop. Since the party was going to be a major deal for Owen and his company, Emmalyn wanted to get the best of everything for it.

It was on the way back that there was a chain reaction accident, which led to a 10-car pile-up on the highway. Owen hadn't even known that Emmalyn was in the accident. She hadn't told him that she was driving to LA that day. He had heard about the accident, while reading local news on the web, and felt sorry for the poor souls who had got caught up in it.

It was only when he got home that night that the babysitter told him that Emmalyn had gone to LA and the police had just come to inform them that she had been in the accident. Both she and her friend, Virginia had both died on the spot. Owen had been stunned into silence. He sat down in a chair and just stared into space. The babysitter, Marie, could not stop crying. Emmalyn had called her that morning to stay with the children, while she went out shopping for the party.

The next few days seemed so surreal for Owen. He never imagined that he would be a widower at the age of 30 with three young children. Christopher was eight at the time and he perfectly understood what was going on. He was a sensitive boy and was devastated at the loss of his mother. Hayley had been six and she, too, cried for the days. It was only Griffin, who, at four years old, could not comprehend why his mother was not around. He kept asking his daddy where his mommy was. Even at Emmalyn's funeral, Griffin asked why was his mommy lying in that box. Owen held on to his youngest child and cried.

The next few months were a time of adjustment. He hired Molly, as a full-time housekeeper. She handled the cooking and the cleaning and was willing to supervise the children when they were not in school. Hayley was starting first grade and Christopher was starting third grade. Griffin had still been in pre-school. Hayley had a hard time adjusting to elementary school and kept following Christopher around. Christopher complained that she was cramping his style. Owen told Christopher that he had to be patient because it was a new environment for Hayley.

Hayley cried herself to sleep at night, wishing for her mommy. Owen tried to help her but he knew she missed a woman's touch. As the months passed, the Hunt family learned to adjust without the maternal figure around. Hayley made friends and got used to elementary school. Griffin stopped asking for his mother when he finally realized that she was never coming back. Christopher, as the oldest, kept everything to himself. He had only cried in the privacy of the bedroom. He missed his mother very much.

* * *

Owen thought about everything that his family had gone through over the last two years. It had taken much work and commitment on his part but it seemed that life was now as normal as it could be. He hadn't really dated over the last two years, mainly because his children needed him more than ever. He was now both mom and dad, a job he relished. He had dated a couple of times, but somehow, it never worked out. Sometimes, it was because the woman was not a good fit, personality wise, with him. But most times, it was because the woman backed away, when she heard about his three children. For some women, his children were a deal-breaker.

It had to be a special woman who needed to come into their lives, Owen thought. He and his children were a package deal and it had to be a particular woman who would accept this. He was giving her a ready-made family. He wanted someone who would love his children, as much as he did. It was hard to form relationships when it was not just about himself.

When he saw that girl at Whole Foods, his heart jumped. It was an instant attraction and for a while there, he had wondered if it could go somewhere but then it went all wrong. He sighed as he pulled up into his driveway and parked in his garage. He started taking out the grocery bags out of the car and headed into the kitchen. Molly, the housekeeper, was there.

"So you're back, Mr. Hunt," she said. "Do you need help with the groceries?"

"It's okay, I will get the kids to help me," he said. He called out their names and the three children came running into the kitchen, followed their Welsh corgi, Stella. "I need help taking the groceries out of the car." The children dutifully followed their father out to the garage, where he handed each of them a grocery bag. This was repeated several more times until the trunk was empty. He headed back into the kitchen, where the children were helping Molly pack away the groceries.

"Is dinner ready, Molly?" he asked.

"Yes, Mr. Hunt," Molly said. "Hayley laid out the table and we were just waiting for you to get back from the grocery."

"Okay, great," Owen said. "I am just going to take a quick shower and change my clothes. I will be down in a jiffy." He wearily walked up the stairs to the master bedroom, stripped off his clothes and walked into the shower. The warm water felt good on his skin. As he closed his eyes, he imagined the young Asian woman in the shower with him. He envisioned holding her naked body in his arms and tasting her full lips. He imagined pushing her up against the shower walls and having his way with her, as she wrapped her legs around him. He was in full fantasy mode and his breathing was starting to get a little bit shallow, as he could almost feel himself thrusting into her.

His reverie was finally broken by a small voice saying, "Daddy?" The image of the tiny Asian woman suddenly dissipated in his mind.

"Yes, Griffin," he answered. "How can I help you?" He really couldn't allow Griffin to see him in this highly aroused state, so he opened the shower door slightly and stuck his head out.

"Molly said everything is on the table, so if you could come down," Griffin said, solemnly.

"Thank you, Griffin. I will be right there. You run along, now," Owen said.

"Okay," Griffin replied. "I am hungry, Daddy, so hurry up." He opened the bathroom door and left.

"That was a close one," Owen thought. He laughed, heartily at what had just happened. He finished up his shower, toweled off and changed into a t-shirt and shorts. He headed down to the dining room, where his children were already waiting.

"I am sorry to keep you waiting," he said. "So I guess we can all dig in."

"Finally," Christopher said, as he took a huge scoop of mashed potatoes on to his plate. It was quiet as everyone passed around the serving bowls around the table.

As he took his first bite of the roast beef, Owen asked, "So how was everyone's second day of school?"

"Good," Griffin said. "We started doing arithmetic today. I liked it. We added apples and subtracted oranges. It was fun."

"I am glad you like arithmetic, son. It's going to be very important for you in life," Owen told his youngest.

"We read aloud in class today. Every single one of us," Hayley said. "I didn't make any mistakes while I was reading."

"That is great, Hayley," Owen said. "I am so proud of you."

"Miss Yang is just wonderful," Christopher declared. "She is the best teacher I ever had. She makes school work so much fun. When it was break time, nobody wanted to stop learning. She had to tell us to leave the classroom and go on our break."

"Wow, Christopher," Owen said. "That must be some teacher if the kids don't want to go to break and stay in the classroom. Did she like the nectarine?" He had helped Christopher choose the best nectarine they had and they wrapped it in a pink napkin.

"Yes," Christopher said, with a huge grin. "She said it was delicious."

"I am glad, Christopher, that you like this teacher so much," Owen said. "She will probably motivate you to want to learn even more. That is so excellent. Remember this is the year that we are trying to get your grades up. Disney World and Universal Studios are calling our names." The two younger children looked up, very excitedly.

"Yes," Christopher said. "I am going to do it. My grades are definitely going up." Owen reached over and ruffled his son's hair.

"I know you will, son," he said. The family continued eating and chatting for the rest of the dinner. Owen had always insisted that the family always had dinner together. It was important that they could come together as a family and share a meal.

After dinner, he supervised homework and the brushing of teeth. He read a book for Griffin and went in to check on both Christopher and Hayley in their bedrooms. He went back to his bedroom and changed into his pajamas. He went to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He read for a while to get him feeling sleepy. With his eyes feeling heavy, he put down the book and turned off the lamp on his bedside table. He lay back in his bed, feeling the ring on his left hand, twisting it round and round on his finger. In that instant, he knew it was time. It was time to move on. Yes, he had loved Emmalyn but she was gone. He needed to get on with his life. He was a young man – still only 32. He wanted to share his life and family with someone. He wanted companionship and he also wanted love.

He turned on the light. He got up and took off the gold band from his finger. He found Emmalyn's jewelry box, which he had put away in a drawer. He opened it and deposited the ring into the box, which he then put away, again.

He went back to his bed, turned off the light and thought about the girl in the grocery. He knew he was going to do his best to find her. He felt at peace with his decision.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. I do appreciate when you do so. It helps in the writing process.**


	4. Chapter 4 A Night Out

Cristina walked in the teachers' lounge and poured herself a cup of coffee. She made her way to the same table as her new friend, Delia and gratefully took a seat.

"Hey there, stranger," Delia said. "I haven't seen you all week. So how was your first week?"

"It was pretty wonderful," Cristina answered. "I really like the kids in my class. They all seem eager to learn. At least, it appears to be so. I am hoping that it is not a first week fluke."

"So it goes well, then," Delia said. "So I was wondering whether you would like to go out with me, this weekend. We can hit a couple of bars and check out the local denizens that frequent these watering holes."

Cristina laughed. "I guess I really should go out and meet some people. So yes, I think I will go out with you. By the way, I almost met someone on Tuesday at Whole Foods. Turned out that wasn't going to work out."

"Oh, I am so intrigued, Cristina. Tell me more about it," Delia said, perking up immediately. "I am all ears." Cristina giggled at Delia's enthusiasm.

"Well, I went to Whole Foods after school to grab some groceries. When I was checking out, I saw him. Delia, you should have seen the guy. Tall, muscular, really a hunk. So there I am, stealing glances at the man. Then, he catches me, watching him. Gosh, that was embarrassing. But then, he started flirting with me and I flirted back," Cristina told her friend.

"Wow, oh, wow, this is getting good," Delia shrieked. "Tell me more."

"You're going to be disappointed by this part," Cristina said.

"Nooo," Delia replied. "Why?"

"Turns out the guy is married. I saw his wedding ring. I was flirting with a married guy. But the thing is what kind of guy would do such a thing? After my experiences with my ex, a guy like that would be the furthest thing from my mind. I would never be interested in a married guy," Cristina said. "The guy is good looking but I kept thinking about his poor wife, who probably doesn't know that he is flirting with some stranger in a grocery store. He probably has kids, too, because he was buying a whole lot of groceries."

"Yeah, those kinds of guys exist. We have to see the signs early and side-step them, these days. It is hard to find a good guy, these days," Delia concurred. "But here is a little secret. Some of the best guys around here are the dads of the kids in this school."

"What?" Cristina was shocked. "But won't they be married?"

"Nope, not all of them," Delia said. "Some are single dads, some are divorced and some are widowed. I met quite a few of them, since I have been teaching here a couple of years."

"Oh, okay. How come you haven't hooked up with any of them?" Cristina asked.

"Honestly, there are a couple of dads that turn my head but I really don't want to hook up with a guy with kids," Delia said. "That is just too much for me. I mean I want it to start off with just him and me but when there are kids involved, that is a whole another kettle of fish. Their needs are a top priority for the guy."

"Yeah, I guess," Cristina agreed. She had never dated a man with kids before.

"Let me give you an example of a really hot dad. You know Christopher Hunt from your class. I had him last year, when he was in fourth grade. His dad is just spectacular, I have to tell you," Delia said. "Tragic story about that family, too. Christopher's mom died in a car accident about two years ago. She and her friend died instantly on the spot. It was a 10-car pile-up on the highway. So Christopher's dad was left with three little kids. Christopher has a younger sister and brother in our school. The dad's hot but that is just too much baggage."

Cristina remembered when Christopher had talked about his family, when they were introducing themselves the first day of school.

"You're going to probably meet him sometime, soon," Delia said. "You'll see what I mean. Something to look forward to, Cristina." Delia laughed.

"Probably," Cristina said, joining in the laughter.

* * *

On Saturday night, Cristina and Delia got all dressed up and decided to hit one of the local bars in Laguna Beach. Cristina felt a little bit over-dressed. There seemed to be a more casual vibe at this bar. She was wearing a short red dress with stiletto heels. The patrons of this particular bar, including Delia, were all in jeans.

"Why didn't you tell me that it was casual?" Cristina said, poking Delia in the ribs. "I stick out like a sore thumb."

"What are you worried about? You look fantastic. Guys are going to notice you," Delia said. "And you want to be noticed in your first foray into Laguna Beach nightlife." That did not make Cristina feel any better. She and Delia were at the bar, ordering cocktails for themselves.

Cristina was about to pay, when a voice behind her said, "I will take care of that for the lovely ladies." Both Delia and Cristina turned around at the same time. It was actually two guys, both good-looking with dark hair and blue eyes. They looked a lot like each other which made Cristina realize that they were brothers.

Cristina was about to refuse, when Delia said, "Certainly and thank you." Cristina looked at her in horror. If they accepted these drinks, that was a sure signal that the guys would expect them to spend the evening, hanging out with them. One of the guys paid the tab, while the other one asked, "Would you all like to join us at our booth?" Delia nodded, eagerly. Cristina felt like she had no choice. It would seem so rude of her, not to accept their invitation to their booth. She reluctantly followed the two guys and Delia to the corner booth.

One of the guys said, "So let's all introduce ourselves. I am Erik and this is my brother, Lance. I am the older one by the way."

"Good to meet you, Erik, Lance," Delia said, taking a sip. "I am Delia and this is my friend, Cristina." Cristina gave a slight smile. She wasn't too sure about this but since Delia seemed to be into it, she was just going to go along with it.

As the evening progressed, Cristina felt that she was drinking an awful lot. The guys seemed to be plying them with more and more drinks. She felt that if she didn't stop drinking, she was going to get completely drunk and she wouldn't know what the heck she would be doing, while under the influence. She already felt a little tipsy, so when the guys asked for another round, she haltingly said, "Not…for…me. I am going to have some water and can you order a sandwich or something." She desperately needed something in her stomach to absorb some of that alcohol.

When the waitress brought the water and sandwich for her, Cristina gratefully bit into it. With something in her stomach and the continuous supply of water, she was feeling a lot better. With a clearer head, she began to realize that what the two guys wanted was an easy score for the night. They were both hoping to hook up with them. She didn't know about Delia but that was certainly not happening with her. Cristina was not a casual sex girl. She was not into empty, meaningless sex.

"I think we should go to the bathroom, Delia," she said, loudly. Delia looked at her, a little dazed but did not protest. She got up and followed Cristina to the ladies' room.

"Delia, wash your face," Cristina ordered. "We are not staying around here. We are going to get out of here."

"Why, Cristina?" Delia asked, her voice was slurred.

"Because all those guys want to do is to sleep with us, Delia. They have been piling on the drinks so we get drunk and have no idea what we're doing," Cristina said. "So wash your face, now and we are going to go to the car and get out of here."

"Is that such a bad thing that they want to sleep with us?" Delia asked, her words still slurred. She started washing her face, as commanded by Cristina.

"Yes, it is a bad thing. We really don't know these guys," Cristina said. "How are you feeling?"

"I've got a headache," Delia admitted. "I really should not have mixed my drinks. How are you feeling?"

"I have a headache, too but at least, I am thinking straight," Cristina said. "I had started feeling a little tipsy but it seems to have faded." She handed Delia a couple of paper towels, so she could dry her face. Delia felt a lot more refreshed.

"Feeling better?" Cristina asked. Delia nodded. "Okay, we have to make a quick run for the door and out of here." The two girls made a surreptitious run to the exit and into their car. Cristina dropped off Delia and then, went home. She was still feeling awful so she collapsed on to her bed, without undressing or taking off her make-up. The last thing on her mind was a realization that she was not into the one-night stand kind of lifestyle. She wanted a real relationship with a good man. With those thoughts, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

When she awoke on Sunday morning, she still had a headache and rolled off the bed and crawled to the bathroom. When she got there, she finally stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. "Oh, my God, Cristina Yang, you look terrible." She brushed her teeth and took a shower. She took another look at herself in the mirror. "You clearly need some spirituality in your life, girl." So she changed her clothes, brushed her hair, put on some light make-up and a pretty dress. She was headed to church. She picked up a coffee on the way and finished it by the time she drove into the parking lot of the church.

She was late, she knew, because she could already hear the choir and congregation singing. She slipped into a pew at the back of the church, hoping no one would notice her late arrival. It had been quite a long time, since she had gone to church. She had once been an altar girl, when she was a child. But as an adult, she knew she had lapsed. As she sat there, she started remembering what she liked about going to church. She relaxed as the priest started his sermon.

It was during the sermon that she noticed a small, familiar face looking back at her. He turned around once, then twice, then three times, as if he were making sure that it was really her. Then, he waved. She knew who it was. It was her student, young Christopher Hunt. She waved back at him and he flashed the toothiest smile at her. He was sitting with his family – his dad and his two younger siblings. She noticed that all three children possessed their father's hair color. So that was the hot dad that Delia had told her about. Not that it mattered, his face was turned away from her, so she really couldn't tell whether he really was all that, as Delia had advertised. In any case, it seemed that Hot Dad was scolding his son for turning around.

Cristina was right. Christopher was indeed being chided by Owen. "Christopher, stop turning around. What is the matter with you? Father Donnelly is preaching his sermon and you need to listen. There is always something that you can learn from it."

"Okay, Dad," Christopher said. "It's just that I saw Miss Yang, sitting at the back of the church."

"Miss Yang, your teacher?" Owen asked. Christopher nodded.

"Maybe we can talk to her after Mass is ended," Christopher suggested, hopefully.

"Sure, we can, Christopher," Owen said. "I really would like to meet the woman who is making you all happy about doing schoolwork. After the service is ended, though. Let's stop talking, Father Donnelly is looking in our direction and is giving us a mean look." It was true that Fr. Donnelly was gazing in their direction, so Christopher zipped up his lips. He couldn't help but look back one more time at his teacher. Christopher was happy that his dad was going to meet the woman that he was going to marry, when he became a grown-up. It was a good thing, he thought.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. I do appreciate when you take the time to do so. Been feeling pretty depressed since we heard the Sandra news. I guess you must be, too. So let's drown our sorrows in fanfiction.**


	5. Chapter 5 Planning the Christmas pageant

Christopher ran to the back of the church, looking for his teacher. He frantically looked around but she was nowhere in sight. Owen, along with Hayley and Griffin, joined him at the back of the church.

"Well, is she here, Christopher?" Owen asked. Christopher shook his head. He was extremely disappointed. He was anxious for his father to meet his teacher. Where could she have gone?

"I've seen her," Hayley said. "She's young and really pretty. I am going to be in her class in two years." Owen ruffled his daughter's hair.

"Yes, you are, Hayley," he said. "Christopher, since she is not here, let's just say goodbye to Father Donnelly and be on our way home. I am sure Molly has our breakfast prepared."

"Okay, Dad," Christopher, hanging his head in disappointment.

"It's okay, son. I am certain that I am going to meet her soon enough. Maybe at some parent's day or something like that," Owen said. The man and his three children went to say goodbye to their priest before leaving for a lovely family Sunday.

* * *

The next day, Christopher went to his classroom and saw Talia Blackstone sitting at her desk. He wanted to change seats with her, so badly, since he now wanted to sit in the front row seat.

"Hi, Talia," he said. Talia looked up at him, her face beaming. She really liked Christopher Hunt. He was so darn cute.

"Hi, Christopher. How are you this morning?" she asked, her smile brightening her entire face.

"I am doing fine. Um, I was wondering, Talia, if I could change seats with you, so I could sit in the front row," he said, smiling back. Maybe smiling would work in helping her acquiesce to his request.

"Why?" she asked, the smile disappearing from her face. She was a little suspicious of his motives.

"Um, um," Christopher said, thinking about a good reason. Then, he got it. "I am having trouble seeing the whiteboard, so I thought that being in the front row would help me."

He could see Talia was thinking. If she agreed to this, that meant she would have to give up her prime front row seat to help out Christopher. On the other hand, it could mean that he would see her in a different light, not just as a friend he had known since they were very young. Talia was a very avid student. That's why she chose a front row seat, so she could be aware of everything that was going on in class. She looked up at Christopher's intense blue eyes. She could get lost in those blue eyes.

"Okay," she said. "But only because you can't see properly. I think you should ask your father to get your eyes tested. Maybe you need glasses."

"I will," Christopher said. "Thank you so much, Talia. I will never forget this. Can I help you with your things to my desk?" He was so eager to move her to his desk. She handed him her books to carry and he gladly transported them across to his now former desk. He made sure she was properly settled at her new desk, before he slipped into the front row seat.

Just then, Miss Yang came in, with a lovely smile on her face. She looked surprised to be seeing Christopher in the front row seat and Talia, now sitting in the second row. She didn't say anything about the new seating arrangements, gathering that it was a private transaction between the two ten-year-olds.

"Good morning, class," she said.

"Good morning, Miss Yang," the class said in unison.

"Nice to see that everyone is here, today," Miss Yang said. "We have lots to discuss this morning." Everyone perked up, immediately.

"Okay, I know it is only September but I got a notice from the principal that we should start thinking about our presentation for the Christmas pageant. He said he didn't want a repeat of last year, where certain classes did not have enough rehearsal time and gave a poor showing at the pageant. He wants to remind us that the Christmas pageant raises funds for the schools through the sale of tickets and refreshments. Even though it's mainly your parents and your siblings that may be coming, we still want to show them respect by giving them a great show," she said, walking through the classroom aisles. Everyone agreed.

"So I want to hear some suggestions on what the fifth grade can do for the pageant," she said. "So put on your thinking caps and let me hear your thoughts. This is a democracy here and we will put it to the vote on what we should do. However, once we agree on what we are going to do, I expect everyone to participate in some aspect of our presentation, even if you are not one of the people on stage. Also, as a new rule, all teachers must participate in the presentation."

"Yay," Christopher said, on hearing her last comment.

"Ah, Christopher, I see that you are happy that I have to participate," she said. "I actually don't mind. So do you have a suggestion?"

"I was thinking of doing a rock band performance of Christmas carols, not doing it the traditional way like a choir. Really fast and upbeat," Christopher said. He knew that his face was red as he made his suggestion. He was feeling a little embarrassed since everyone was looking in his direction.

"Actually, Christopher, than is an excellent idea," his teacher said. She gave him a smile that he knew that was only for him. He was certain of it.

"Any more ideas?" Miss Yang asked.

"We could do a play," Talia suggested. "Not the traditional nativity story. We already know that the first graders are the one who usually do that for the pageant. A sort of Christmas story for our times."

"Also a wonderful idea, Talia," Miss Yang said. "Any more ideas?"

There was murmuring in class. "Alright, since they are both wonderful ideas, do you want to put it to a vote?"

Christopher's lone hand shot up. "Miss Yang, I have an idea that would bring both these ideas together in one. Well, I know not everybody could take part in the rock n' roll Christmas idea because not everyone can play instruments or sing. Maybe what we could do is have the Christmas play and have the rock n' roll Christmas carols to open and end the play. That way, more people can participate in the play and the people who can play instruments will perform in the band."

"Oh my God, Christopher, that is one of the best ideas I have ever heard. Yes, more people from the class can take part," she said. "I love it. You are such a smart cookie, Christopher." Christopher blushed at the praise.

"Let me see who agrees with this concept," Miss Yang asked. All of the hands in the class shot up in the air. Christopher was so proud of himself.

"Good. So let's get started," Miss Yang continued. "Who can play an instrument?"

"I can play guitar," Christopher said. "My dad taught me. It is his favorite instrument. "

"Wonderful. I can play keyboards. I can sing, too," Miss Yang said. "All we need is a drummer and another vocalist."

"I can play drums," Rufus said. "I have been taking lessons for the last four years."

"Wonderful," Miss Yang said. "This band just came together. Any vocalist?"

Talia put up her hand. "I can sing, Miss Yang," she said.

"Excellent," Miss Yang said. "Now the play part of our presentation. Remember it is not just about the actors but also people who will do make-up, costumes and props. I am going to put up on a sign-up sheet and you could tell me what you want to do. Now, remember, it is not going to be a full-scale production because we only have 12-15 minutes. So we are all in agreement."

Everyone clapped to express their agreement.

* * *

It was during the break that Christopher approached Miss Yang, who seemed very busy, putting together a grocery list.

"Miss Yang," he said. She looked up from her grocery list.

"Yes, Christopher," she said. "How can I help you?"

"I saw you in church, yesterday and I wanted to introduce you to my dad but you disappeared at the end of the service," he said.

"Oh, yes, I did. I was parked badly and I needed to move my car before the end of the service," she said. "There wasn't much room in the parking lot so I double-parked someone and I needed to move the car before that person came out. I am sorry that you missed me but I am sure that I am going to meet your father, some day."

"I guess," Christopher said. What he didn't say was that he wanted to introduce her more than anything, yesterday.

"Thank you for your excellent suggestion for the Christmas pageant," Miss Yang said. "You are such a bright boy."

"Thank you, Miss Yang," he said. "I better go for my break, now."

"Yes, you should," she said. "Have fun." His heart was full of joy, as he left the classroom. She went back to making her grocery list.

* * *

That evening on the way home, Christopher was excited to tell his dad about the Christmas pageant. "Dad, dad, I am going to play guitar in the Christmas pageant," he said.

"Wow," Owen said. "That sounds wonderful. The Christmas pageant, huh? I guess that's where I can meet your teacher that you so wanted me to meet yesterday. Tell me more."

"Yup, we are doing a play and having music at the beginning and at the end," Christopher said. "It's me on guitar, Rufus on drums, Miss Yang on keyboards and Talia on vocals. Miss Yang will also be singing."

"Ooh, I like that. She seems to be a woman of many talents," Owen said. "Griffin, Hayley, what are your classes doing?"

"Nativity play," Griffin said. "I am a cow." Owen expected that. The first graders always did the traditional Nativity play.

"We're going to dance," Hayley said. "It's going to be five of us and our teacher, doing a dance."

"Great, it seems that I really have to get tickets for Molly and me for the pageant," Owen said. As he pulled up into his driveway to drop the kids off, he told them that he was going to the grocery and if they needed anything special.

"More chocolate syrup to make chocolate milk," Griffin said.

"Chocolate chip cookies," Hayley said, thinking a bit.

"Nectarines," Christopher said. Indeed, it was his favorite fruit.

"See you guys," he said, as he drove off. He was headed to the nearby Whole Foods store to do some grocery shopping. He went there, every week. He wondered if the young Asian woman would be there, today.

He pulled into the parking lot, got out of the car and took up all of his reusable grocery bags from the trunk. As he headed into the grocery, he couldn't believe his eyes. It was her – the young Asian woman with the thick, dark curls. He could not believe his luck. It looked like she was leaving the grocery. He had to talk to her before she left.

"Um, hi," he said. She looked up at him.

"Oh, hi," she said.

"Do you remember me?" he asked. She nodded to acknowledge that she did.

"Well, I didn't want to get the wrong idea about me," he said. "I think I gave a bad first impression. I know you saw my wedding ring. I just wanted to tell you that I am not married. Well, I was married but I am no longer married. I am actually widowed. My wife died a couple of years back. I just found it hard to take off the ring and that's why you saw me with the ring. But I have taken it off, now," he said, showing her his ring finger with the tan line where the ring used to be. He knew like he sounded like he was babbling but he couldn't help himself. "I just didn't want you to think that I was a cheating douche-bag."

She blinked twice. "Okay," she said. "Thanks for telling me. I have to go now." He watched as she left the grocery and threw her bags in the back seat of her yellow VW beetle. He wasn't sure whether she believed him.

As she drove away, Owen realized he never told her his name. Worse yet, he never even asked her what her name was.

"Oh my God, Owen Hunt, you have no game whatsoever," he said, shaking his head. He entered the grocery, frustrated with himself by his missed opportunity, once again.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. I do appreciate all of your feedback. **


	6. Chapter 6 Band Rehearsal

Cristina took out her lunch from the microwave. She gratefully took a seat next to Delia, who was already chomping down on her lunch.

"Whatcha got there, Cristina?" Delia asked.

"Some leftover lasagna from last night," Cristina replied. "A little pasta is always good for the soul."

"It sure is," Delia said. "So what did your class decide to do for the Christmas pageant?"

"Oh, we're going to do a modern Christmas play and opening it with some rock and roll Christmas music in the beginning and at the end," Cristina said. "We have a band and everything."

"Wow, that is an ambitious idea for fifth graders," Delia said in awe. "Who came up with that?"

"Well, it was a combination of two ideas from Talia and Christopher but it was Christopher who came up with the idea to integrate both concepts," Cristina said. "He is a smart little guy. That way, we have more participation from everyone in the class. I am in the band, playing keyboards and doing vocals."

"So you know you have to take on the writing of the play," Delia said. "That's an extra burden.

"Yup, but I don't mind. I am not dating anyone, so I have time in the evenings to write it. I have some ideas, already," Cristina said. "It shouldn't take too long to write. However, the rehearsals are important. I think I am going to start rehearsing the band and see what their skill level is. I know they volunteered and they seemed pretty confident but I have yet to hear them actually play. Our first rehearsal is this afternoon after school."

"Who's in the band?" Delia asked.

"We have Christopher on guitar, Rufus on drums, Talia on vocals and as I said before, me on keyboards on vocals," Cristina said. "We have to decide on what two songs we're going to sing. Can't be too long – maybe a verse and a chorus for each song because we do have the play in between."

"Sounds like you have your plate full with this Christmas pageant. At least, you're organized and know what you're doing. The fourth graders were in a mess," Delia said. "Nobody liked any of the ideas. At the rate we're going, we are just going to throw on some choir robes and sing."

"That mightn't be too bad, Delia, if you have some really good singers," Cristina said, encouragingly.

"Yeah, but it just seems so boring and pedestrian and predictable," Delia said. "I just want to do something different. It's so easy for the first grade teacher. She knows exactly what they are doing, every year."

"Oh, I have an idea," Cristina said. "What about a Christmas-based circus act? That would be different."

"What! That sounds like an amazing idea!" Delia said. "Oh, I am going to ask them as soon as the afternoon session starts. Thank you, Cristina."

"You are very welcome," Cristina said. She was glad that she could help out her friend. Then, she remembered she had something juicy to tell Delia.

"Hey, remember the guy in Whole Foods, who was flirting with me across the cashiers' lanes," Cristina said.

"Oh, yeah," Delia answered. "The married guy with the wedding ring. Is he back?"

"Yeah, him," Cristina said, giggling. "I saw him, the other day at Whole Foods, of course. I was leaving and he was coming in. He stopped me and said hi and asked if I had remembered him. I nodded and then he went into this whole, rambling explanation about why he was wearing a wedding ring the last time I saw him."

"Oh, really?" Delia said, very interested. Her eyes lit up with anticipation. She loved a juicy story.

"He said his wife died a couple of years ago and he hadn't been able to take it off but he had, now," Cristina said. "That was his story in a nutshell but he took a really long time to say it."

"Awww," Delia said. "For him to do that, he must really like you, Cristina." Cristina screwed up her face.

"The thing is since I don't really know him, I don't know if he is telling the truth," Cristina said. "He could be like one of those guys in bars, who take off their wedding ring, so they can pick up girls."

"Well, yeah, I guess so," Delia said. "But he could be telling the truth and he is widowed. He took off his ring for you. Maybe you could give this guy a chance. You don't have to do anything crazy, just see if he could be telling the truth. You never know this could be the guy you're looking for."

Cristina threw back her head and laughed. "Well, he was good-looking. And he looked like he had an awesome bod. Well, if I do see him at the grocery the next time, I will make an effort to have a conversation. But of course, that is only if I see him."

"Good girl," Delia said.

* * *

After school, Cristina had gathered her motley crew of students to the band rehearsal room. Talia, Rufus and Christopher were all there.

"I am just going to test your skill level today. I know you guys said you could play but I just wanted to make sure that we are all able to work together," Cristina said. "Let's start with Rufus."

Rufus got behind the drums and put down a set that impressed Cristina. "Very good, Rufus. That was great."

"Now, Christopher," she said. Christopher picked up the guitar and started playing. He had never taken formal lessons but his father had taught him well. He played a beautiful rendition of Katy Perry's_ Firewor_k.

"That was gorgeous, Christopher," Cristina said. Christopher blushed at the compliment.

"Okay, Talia. Let's hear that voice," Cristina said. Talia decided to do "Tomorrow" from Annie. She had a lovely soprano voice. Cristina was very pleased.

"That's lovely, Talia," Cristina said. Just then, the door of the band room opened and a boy with long hair entered. It was Cord from their class. He had long hair and had a rather indolent air about him. He was 11, tall and quite good-looking. All of the girls in the class thought he was quite dreamy.

"Guys, you know Cord," Cristina said. "He is going to be joining our band." Cord had a bass guitar with him, so everyone knew what instrument he played. Christopher was mad. He wanted to be the only guitarist in the band.

"Cord said that we needed a bass guitar to add that extra oomph to our band," she said. "I don't mind. The more participation from class members, the better for everyone. So Cord, let's hear what you can do."

Cord started playing and it was quite clear that his skills with the bass guitar were very impressive. Christopher was not pleased.

"Wow, Cord, that was wonderful," Cristina said. "How did you learn to play like that?"

"My dad used to be in a rock band. He was the bass guitarist. That was before he got married and started having a family. He taught me the bass guitar. He said that bass guitarists had a lot of soul," Cord said.

"So what about other guitarists, don't they have soul, too?" Christopher said, angrily. Cristina immediately recognized that the blonde boy was upset. His feelings were hurt by the older boy's comment. He was also upset that maybe Miss Yang might like Cord's guitar skills better than his own. After all, Cord's dad was in an actual band, while Christopher's dad had not.

"Of course, they have soul, too, Christopher," she said in a soothing tone. It would not do that there was dissension on the first day of rehearsal. Cord gave Christopher a smug look, which made the smaller boy even angrier. Cristina touched Christopher on his shoulder to console him. Her touch made him feel better.

"So guys, let's talk about the songs we want to do. Now I am writing this play about a department store Santa Claus who wants to do something special for a poor little boy. Remember, we have a limited time, so we are only going to do a verse and a chorus of each song. Any ideas?"

"What about _Santa Claus is coming to Town_ for the beginning?" Talia suggested.

"There's also _Here Comes Santa Claus_," Rufus noted.

"Both good suggestions," Cristina said. "We'll try them both and see which one we like better. As I was thinking that we could do kind of send off to end it all. Like _Feliz Navidad_ or _We Wish You a Merry Christmas _or _Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas? _Again, we can try them out and see which one you like. I am going to get the sheet music for the songs and for our next rehearsal, we are going to try out the songs and see which one we like the best."

The children nodded in agreement. "Okay, so, next Tuesday, is that okay with everyone? Any conflicts?" she asked.

"No, Miss Yang," the children said.

"Wonderful, kids," Cristina said. "I am so excited. Tonight, I am going to write the play. We are going to give the best presentation in St Michael's history. The fifth grade class is going to rock this. Gosh, I am all fired up."

Her enthusiasm also fueled that of the children, who were also bursting with excitement. "So I am going to let you guys go now. Have a wonderful evening. I am just going to lock up the band room." The children filed out of the band room and went to the front of the school to be picked up by their parents. All four children waited on the school steps. First, Rufus left, then Talia did, soon after. It was only Christopher and Cord left waiting. Neither of them said anything at first but then, Cord made the comment, "Miss Yang sure is pretty."

Christopher could feel his throat tightening. "Yes, she is," he said in a flat tone.

"I bet you like her," Cord said. "Why would you get so mad in there, if that weren't the case? I mean, seriously, dude, it is as obvious as the nose on your face."

Christopher's blood was starting to boil when Cord said, "I kinda fancy her, too. Pity she is a grown up." He almost yelled that Miss Yang was his and Cord could keep his eyes away from her. But Cord's dad pulled up in his convertible. Christopher could see that Cord had the same long hair as his dad.

"Hop in, Cord," the man said. Cord climbed into the vehicle and they sped off down the road. Christopher was all alone. He looked at his watch. Where the heck was his dad? Finally, he saw his father's blue vehicle a little bit away. Christopher picked up his backpack and waited. As soon as Owen pulled up, Christopher said, "What took you so long? I am the last one here."

"Wait a minute. This is the second trip I have to make to this school to pick you up. I picked up your brother and sister earlier and dropped them off. Now, I have to come back for you, so don't be snippy, young man. Also, you are not alone, Mitchell, the security guard is here," Owen said. Christopher sat in the front seat and buckled himself in.

"I am sorry, dad. Just something that was aggravating me, that's all," Christopher said, glumly.

"What's the matter, son?" Owen asked, concerned.

"It's just that Miss Yang brought in a bass guitarist into the group. Cord from my class," Christopher told him. "He got me so mad, when he said that bass guitarists had more soul."

Owen smiled but not long enough so that Christopher could see it.

"Oh, don't worry, son. All guitarists have a lot of soul," Owen said. "I have a lot of soul, I would like to think."

"Hmm. He thinks he is all that because his dad was in a rock band," Christopher declared.

"Well, don't you let that worry you. You are a wonderful guitarist," Owen said. "Just do the best you can. Miss Yang will appreciate it."

"Yes," Christopher said, feeling a little more comforted. "She is wonderful." He didn't mention all what Cord had said about Miss Yang. He didn't really want his father to know how much of a crush he had on his young teacher.

"Okay, let's go," Owen said, as he drove down the street. They were only gone about quarter of a mile when he saw it. A yellow VW beetle drove on the cross-street in front of them. He was surprised to see it.

"Oh, my God," he said, loudly.

"What's the matter, dad?" Christopher said.

Owen said nothing, as he contemplated chasing after the vehicle. What should he do?

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. I do appreciate when you take the time to review. **


	7. Chapter 7 Thanksgiving

Owen made the decision in that instant. He was going to pursue the little yellow car. He turned the steering wheel right and turned down into the side street.

"Where are you going, dad?" Christopher questioned. "This isn't the way home. We're supposed to go straight, not turn right."

"Um, Christopher, just going to check out something, here and then, we'll go home. Okay?" Owen said, scanning the street for the yellow car. Whoever was driving that car was moving at a rapid speed. Why would she be driving so fast? Then, he spotted it. He was going to speed up to catch it but then two cars came out from the side and moved out in front of him.

"Come on, come on," he said. "Get moving, you two. You're taking forever to get out of there." Christopher gave his father a puzzled look. What was wrong with his dad?

Owen was getting anxious. The yellow car was now two cars ahead of him. He hoped that he would not lose sight of it. Then, he saw the traffic light turned to red.

"Hallelujah!" he yelled. He could at least pull up close enough to the car. He could see that the person in the car had long, dark hair. He was getting excited. Maybe, he could finally see her and not make a fool of himself.

Then, the light changed. Everyone took off down the road. One car turned off into a side street, so Owen was that much closer. Then, the other car turned off into a Walgreens parking lot. He was now directly behind the yellow VW Beetle and another traffic light was coming up. He could now pull alongside the vehicle, which he did.

He glanced across with a smile, only to be greeted with a face that not only had long dark hair but also a full beard and mustache. "Oh, jeez," Owen muttered under his breath. He turned into a shopping mall parking lot, turned around and began the trek back to his original route. He was really kind of peeved at that guy. Seriously, why would a burly man like that be driving such a girly-looking car?

What was happening to me, Owen thought. The woman was driving him crazy. Here he was, chasing down random yellow VW Beetles down the street. He desperately hoped he would see her again at the grocery store.

* * *

Alas, that was not going to be the case. Owen never saw his mystery crush at the grocery store, whenever he went there. He was sorely disappointed by it.

But there was a reason why he never saw her. Cristina was extremely busy with all of the school's extra-curricular activities, She no longer went to the grocery store at the hours that she had previously done before. She now shopped much later at night between the hours of 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. because that was the only time she could get there. By that time, Owen had already been there and gone.

She had written the play about a poor boy who asked a mall Santa Claus for a pretty dress for his mother for Christmas. The boy's mother, who worked cleaning tables in the food court of the mall, always admired a particular dress in the window of a store. The mall Santa was touched that the boy wanted nothing for himself so he bought the dress for the woman and left it for her at the food court outlet where she worked with a note, saying that it was from Santa Claus.

Cristina thought it was a good story because its main message was about giving for Christmas. She wanted her grade school children to know that Christmas was more about giving to others, rather than the receiving all of these gifts.

Other than the play, she also had band rehearsals with her little rock band. They had decided on _Santa Claus is Coming to Town_ for their opening song and _Feliz Navidad_ for their closing song. Both were upbeat, peppy songs and would go well with their rock vibe.

Whenever Owen picked up Christopher after his band rehearsals after school, little did he know that his grocery store dream girl was right there, just a mere hundred feet away inside the school. Their worlds often collided but neither knew that it was happening.

* * *

It was Thanksgiving. Owen was going to host Thanksgiving dinner at his house for his parents and Emmalyn's parents. It was the only time of year that all four grandparents got together with Owen and his family. Emmalyn's parents lived 50 miles away in another town, while Owen's parents also lived 50 miles away in another direction. It was at the Thanksgiving dinner that they would all meet and exchange stories about their lives at the moment. It had been a tradition that had started when Christopher was born and it continued every year after that, even after Emmalyn's death.

First, his parents, Carl and Carlene Hunt arrived. It was always a standing joke in the Hunt family that Carl and Carlene were always meant to be. They had met in high school and everyone had always made fun of the fact that they were Carl and Carlene, so on a dare, he had asked her out and sparks flew like fireworks on the 4th of July. It was because of them that Christopher had figured that he and Miss Yang were going to be together. Christopher and Cristina were two names that went together just like his grandparents, Carl and Carlene.

Then, Emmalyn's parents arrived. Daniel and Katherine Glassen were all smiles when they saw the children, giving each of them a hug and a kiss. The gatherings were always bittersweet. Everyone was very happy to be there but as always, Emmalyn's absence was always felt.

It was when everyone was seated at the dining table, when Owen was carving the Thanksgiving turkey that Katherine noticed that he was no longer wearing his wedding ring.

"Your ring! You took it off," Katherine said, almost accusatory in her tone. Owen looked at his finger. He had taken off his ring for more than two months, now. He was now used to not wearing it. He heard the tone in Katherine's voice and he knew she was upset. He was aware that she was thinking about Emmalyn.

"Yes, I did," he said, firmly. "I thought it was time that I moved on with my life. I am still a young man. I am only 32 and I do want to have someone in my life." He could see the tears filling in Katherine's eyes but it needed to be said. He could not mourn Emmalyn forever.

He continued, "I loved Emmalyn very much. She was my first real love and she was the mother of my children. I will never forget her and neither will the children. But I cannot continue like this. I want to be happy, too."

Carlene piped up, "We all loved Emmalyn, Katherine and we all have wonderful memories of her. But Owen is right. He needs someone in his life. He needs a companion as well as someone who can co-parent these children, who are all still very young."

Katherine wiped the tears away from her eyes with her napkin. "I am sorry, Owen. I know you are both right. You should have someone in your life. It is sometimes hard to accept that Emmalyn is gone. I know it has been more than two years but I still remember my beautiful angel."

"I do, too," Owen said. "I will always remember her."

"Thank you," Katherine said. "So that means you have been dating? Have you met someone?" Owen really did not know how to answer that question. Yes, he had been dating but none of that ever worked out when the women found out the existence of the children.

"Well, I have dated before but somehow, it never went anywhere," Owen said. "But there is someone, who has piqued my interest." Everyone looked up, expectantly.

"So where is she?" Carlene asked. She was very interested in any potential new love interest, who could become her daughter-in-law.

"Um, well, it is in the very early stages," Owen admitted. "I didn't want to bombard her with too much family togetherness." He didn't really want to mention that the relationship was really non-existent or that he had not caught sight of the woman in two months. He was glad that no one asked what was her name because he would not have known what to say.

"Well, okay, son," Carl said. "I know we can be a bit overwhelming but whenever you're ready, your mother and I would be happy to meet your young lady."

"So would we," Daniel said. "Especially if she is going to be around our grandchildren." Owen nodded. He knew it would be important for them to meet the person who would be a mother figure for Emmalyn's children. If only he could get the chance to ask this woman out on their first date.

"Well, let's just get started on our meal, shall we?" Owen said. "Molly has cooked us a fine feast here." The evening settled into one of great food, pleasant conversation and happy family times.

* * *

Cristina, too, was having Thanksgiving dinner but in Philadelphia with her parents and her brother's family. She, too, was being grilled about any potential boyfriends.

"So, Cristina," her mother, Helen said. "Any new boyfriends out there in California? I mean you broke up with Scott and I don't even know why." Cristina had never informed her family about the reason why she broke up with Scott.

"Um, not really," Cristina said. "Though I did see a guy that I kinda liked."

"Well, what's his name?" Helen pressed.

"Um, I don't know," Cristina said. "I have only met him twice at Whole Foods and we've spoken briefly."

"What?" her brother, Jude said. "You haven't even been out with the guy and you kinda like him. Cristina, that is just stupid."

"Oh, I don't know," Cristina said. "It just seems like there is some sort of connection between us, even though I haven't seen him at the grocery in a while, since I started shopping different hours."

Jude shook his head. "Stop wasting time on that dude, Cristina. You are a beautiful girl. You should be out there, dating and not bothering about some guy you barely met at the grocery. Since you don't even know his name, maybe you should stop worrying about him."

Cristina was silent but she also knew that her brother was right. She didn't really even know this guy at all.

"Okay, Jude," she said. "I think you're right. But I have been really busy at school, so there hasn't been much time for dating, anyway. My fifth grade is doing a play that I wrote and we're also doing music at the beginning and at the end of the play, so it is a lot of rehearsals. The Christmas pageant is in two weeks, just before school closes for the break."

"Well, okay," Jude said. "After that, you have to start dating, properly." She nodded. She couldn't be mooning over some guy with whom she had only a brief conversation.

* * *

The two weeks leading up to the pageant were very hectic. All three of Owen's children had to stay back in school for rehearsals for their presentations. Since Griffin was just a cow, his only words were "Moo, moo." Hayley had her dance rehearsals, while Christopher had his band rehearsal.

When the day of the pageant arrived, Owen was very relieved. This was the end of all of the late rehearsals. He and Molly had very good seats on the front row. He had paid the extra dollars for those seats so he could film his children's performances. After all, his three children were in the pageant. He was excited. So was Molly, who had her camera ready to take out pictures.

After Principal Lynch offered his welcome to all parents and families, he introduced the host for the night, Vice Principal Ferguson, who had gone formal and was wearing a magenta gown.

First up were the first graders who did the traditional Nativity play. Of course, Griffin was the cow, who mooed when the wise men came to the stable. Owen could recognize that moo anywhere. After the first graders, then came the second and then the third graders' dance with Hayley. Their teacher was the main dancer and all of the little girls danced around her. Hayley looked so pretty and she kept looking for her father to make sure that he saw her.

He sat through the fourth grade class' circus act, which he found to be highly entertaining. He wondered who came up with that great idea.

There was a break, as the fifth grade set up for their presentation behind the curtain. "So this is Christopher's class?" Molly asked.

"Yes," Owen said. "He was very nervous today but I am sure he will be okay." Then, the curtain rose to reveal the band on one side of the stage. As the first notes of the song started and Talia and Miss Yang began to sing _Santa Claus is Coming to Town_. Owen blinked. He could not believe his eyes as he stared at the young woman behind the keyboards. He had finally found her.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. Thank you for leaving reviews. I do appreciate them.**


	8. Chapter 8 The Pageant

Though he tried to concentrate on the fifth graders and their play, Owen found himself guiding his camera lens towards their teacher behind the keyboards. Though the band was just sitting quietly watching the short play, he could not help himself to focus on them instead.

Once, Christopher caught Owen looking in their direction with the camera, so the little boy waved at his dad. Owen waved back, feeling a little bit sheepish that he really wasn't aiming the camera at his son but at his teacher.

Using the zoom feature of the camera, he chuckled to himself as he watched her reactions, watching her fifth graders perform what she wrote. Sometimes, he caught her, mouthing the words that the children said. When it was over, the band started up again with a very upbeat rendition of _Feliz Navidad_. Christopher was a very enthusiastic guitar player, as was Cord, the bassist. Owen smiled because he could tell that there was a rivalry between the two boys. Talia and Miss Yang sounded very happy as they sang. They were not even finished, when the crowd stood up and gave them a standing ovation. Then, the curtain dropped but the clapping did not stop. So the host for the evening invited Miss Yang and her fifth graders to take a final bow. With Miss Yang to one side, all of the children who had taken part in the production came out, held hands and took a bow. She then ushered them off stage to make way for the sixth graders.

Owen was so proud of Christopher and Miss Yang. She looked so pleased that the fifth graders had done so well. He was determined to talk to her after the pageant was over. If they could only have a decent conversation, he thought. Then, maybe, he could ask her out on a date. The good thing about her being a teacher at his children's school was that she would already know that he had children. There would be no hiding of the fact, until an opportune time arose to bring it up as he had done with previous women he had dated. She would know from the very beginning. If she couldn't handle that fact, he would know that they were meant to be and he could put all of his hopes to rest. He could then move on.

Owen could hardly sit still during the rest of the performances. He barely knew what happened in the sixth, seventh and eighth grade performances. Molly wondered what was wrong with him. He was like a restless child in his seat. It was disturbing her that he was moving around a lot. It was hampering her enjoyment of the pageant.

"Mr. Hunt," she whispered. "Is something wrong? You're fidgeting so much." Owen looked over at Molly, with an apologetic look on his face.

"I am sorry, Molly," he said. "I will try and sit still. I am just excited about something." He made the supreme effort to sit still but he still couldn't concentrate on what was happening on the stage.

When the eighth grade performance was finally over, Owen breathed a sigh of relief. The children and their teachers came out to mingle with their parents and other family members. Owen spotted his younger children first.

"Did you see me, Dad?" Griffin asked. "Was I a good cow?"

"You were the best cow on the stage, Griffin," Owen said, ruffling his son's hair. "I heard that moo loud and clear. I filmed it, so you could see it when you get home."

"What about me, Dad?" Hayley asked. "How did I dance? I was so scared but I did it."

"Oh, Hayley, you were the prettiest girl up there and your dancing was superb," Owen said, as he kissed his daughter on the top of her head. "All those dancing lessons really paid off." The little girl's face beamed as she smiled up at her dad.

"Where's Christopher?" Owen asked.

"Oh, he said he was waiting to talk to his teacher," Hayley said. "He is still backstage."

"Oh, okay. Let's go find him," Owen said, a tad too enthusiastic.

When Owen, Molly and the two children went backstage, they did find Christopher waiting to speak to his teacher. There were actually a lot of people waiting to speak to Miss Yang. The fifth grade production turned out to be the highlight of the entire pageant and people were congratulating her.

"Hey, Christopher," Owen said. "You did really well, playing the guitar. The performance was wonderful, overall."

"Yeah, thanks, Dad," Christopher said. "Just wanted to wish Miss Yang a good night but there are so many people here. So I am waiting."

"Okay, we will wait with you," Owen said. They watched as Cord and his long-haired dad chat with Miss Yang. So that was the guy who was the former bassist in a rock band, Owen thought. Finally, they moved away and Owen and Christopher got their chance to go forward.

"Molly, can you stay here with Griffin and Hayley?" Owen said, as he and Christopher started to walk towards Miss Yang.

"Will do," Molly replied, putting her hands on the two younger children.

"Hello, Miss Yang," Owen said, grinning from ear to ear. She appeared very surprised, perhaps a little bit shocked. Her full lower lip dropped open a bit.

"It's you," she said. "The guy from Whole Foods. You're Christopher's dad?"

"Yes, it is me. I am the guy from Whole Foods," he said. "And I am Christopher's dad. Fancy meeting you here."

Delia was right, Cristina thought. Christopher's dad was a hottie, as she had said. She also remembered Delia telling her the sad tale about his wife had died. So, it was true. He hadn't been lying to her, when he told her that his wife had died. She was so pleased about that. She had a good feeling about him and she was glad.

"I am very pleased to see you," Owen continued. "Imagine my surprise when I saw you on stage, tonight. Christopher kept wanting to introduce me to his teacher. I wish he had been able to do it sooner." Christopher looked up at his father and his teacher. It appeared that they had met before.

"Well, yes. He told me that, too," Cristina said. "I wish he was able to do so, earlier, too." The two of them could not stop smiling at each other.

"Oh, let me formally introduce myself. I don't want to be forever known as the 'guy from Whole Foods.' I am Owen Hunt," he said, offering his hand for a shake.

"Cristina Yang," she replied, slipping her smaller hand into his and shaking it.

"Very pleased to meet you, Miss Yang," he said.

"Oh, call me Cristina," she replied.

"Then, call me Owen," he said. "No need for formalities here, since you know we met twice before."

"You met before?" Christopher asked, with a measure of incredulity to his voice.

"Well, kind of," Cristina said. "We met twice in the grocery but we didn't know who each other was. We didn't know that we had you as a connection. It is such a small world."

"Yes, especially in Laguna Beach," Owen said, chuckling. "I was wondering whether you would like to join my family for pizza and ice cream to celebrate the wonderful performances of my three children." He pointed out Molly and the two other children. "That's our housekeeper, Molly and my two younger children, Hayley and Griffin." Christopher's face lit up that his father had invited Cristina to join them on their family celebration.

"Oh, I know Hayley and Griffin," Cristina said. "I have seen them around in school. But unfortunately, I can't join you. The principal is having a short meeting with all of the teachers, after everyone has gone, so I wouldn't be able to leave. Thank you very much for the invitation, though."

"Oh, that's a pity," Owen said. "Well, then, what about a date? Maybe tomorrow?" Christopher could not believe his ears. Was his father asking Miss Yang out on a date? Did his dad not know that Miss Yang already belonged to him? Christopher was beyond shocked.

"Oh," Cristina said. "I am sorry to say this but I can't go out on a date with you." Christopher breathed a sigh of relief, while Owen's face fell. But then, she spoke again. "I already have a date, tomorrow. "

Both Christopher and Owen's expressions changed to that of horror. It was then that they heard someone behind them say, "See you tomorrow, Cristina."

Both Christopher and Owen looked around, swiftly. It was the voice of Cord's dad, the long-haired bassist. It was when Cristina answered him and said, "Okay, Tom, tomorrow. Pick me up at 7 p.m." Tom nodded, as he and Cord disappeared into the crowd of parents and children. The two male Hunts gasped as they both realized in that instant that Cristina's date was with Cord's dad.

"Your date is with him?" Owen asked, quietly. He knew the answer but he did not want to really believe it.

"Yes," Cristina admitted. "He asked me out, 10 minutes ago." What Owen did not know was that Cristina had taken her brother's words to heart that she should try and date, after the pageant was over. It was just Tom's luck that he was the first guy to ask her out, when the pageant ended. There was an awkward silence after that.

"Well, I guess we should go," Owen said. He felt defeated. As he turned to go, he heard her speak, again.

"I am free on Sunday evening, if you still want to go on a date," she said. Her voice was hopeful. He turned back around and smiled. If she could make such a statement, it was clear that she was as interested in him as he was in her. If he had got to her earlier than Tom, he knew that she would have said yes to their date. She wasn't interested in Tom, he realized.

"Yes," he said. "I would like that. Give me your phone number. I will call you tomorrow and we can finalize our date." He handed her his phone and she put in her name and number under contacts.

"Great," Owen said, as she handed him back his phone. What Owen and Cristina failed to notice was the look of great dismay on Christopher's face. "So we're going to go, now. Bye."

"Bye," Cristina said. Christopher was numb, as his father steered him back into the direction of Molly and the younger children.

"So let's go the pizza parlor," Owen said. "Who's ready for pizza?"

"Me, me," both Hayley and Griffin yelled, happily. Christopher was silent. Owen wondered what was wrong with him since he knew Christopher loved pizza.

At the pizza parlor, while Hayley, Griffin and Molly chatted incessantly, Christopher did not partake in any of the conversation. He just sat there, quietly, chewing on his pizza. When they got to the ice cream store, he said he didn't want anything. Christopher was feeling too depressed to eat any ice cream. He continued to be glum on the way home.

While the other children fought for the chance to stay up a little bit, Christopher announced that he was going to bed, early. The little blonde boy took a warm shower, brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas. He crawled into bed and lay there, thinking about the night's events. He had been so proud and happy when he was on stage. Then, his whole night was shattered when he found out that Miss Yang was not only going out on a date with Cord's dad but his own dad, too. He could feel the hot tears forming in his eyes. He lay there, sobbing and buried his face into his pillow. He was filled with so much hurt and resentment. Didn't she know that she was supposed to wait for him to grow up?

He could hear someone was turning his doorknob to open his door. It had to be his father, coming to check on him. Christopher quickly wiped the tears away from his eyes and shut them, tightly. He pretended to be asleep.

"You okay there, buddy?" Owen asked from the doorway. There was no response from Christopher. "I guess you're asleep. Good night, Christopher." He softly closed the door.

Christopher opened his eyes. He started crying, again. His 10-year-old heart was breaking.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. I do appreciate when you take the time to do so.**


	9. Chapter 9 Two Dates

Cristina opened her door and gave the man on the other side a big smile.

"Hi," Tom said. "You look great. Thanks for dressing casual. We're going to a local club, bar, whatever you want to call it."

"Okay, fine," Cristina said. "Let me just get my jacket." She slipped on her black leather jacket over her pretty blue shirt and black jeans. Tom admired her trim body in her skinny jeans.

The top was up on his convertible. Cristina was glad for that because she didn't want her hair flying all over the place. He opened the door for her and she slipped into the passenger seat. Tom got into the driver's seat and said, "Let's get on our way." She nodded.

It was a quiet drive to the bar, as they both enjoyed the scenic drive. When they pulled up in front of the bar, Cristina remarked, "Oh, hey, they have live music on tonight. The Beachcombers is the name of the band. Hmm, I have never heard of them."

"Oh, they are a local band here in Laguna Beach. They play here every Saturday night," Tom said, with a grin. "I think you would enjoy them."

"Oh, okay," Cristina said. They entered the bar and Tom found them a cozy corner booth.

"What do you want?" he asked. "Beer, wine, cocktail?"

"A beer is fine," she said. He called over the waitress.

"Hey, Tom," the waitress said. "What would you guys like?"

"Two beers," Tom said. The waitress nodded and left.

"It seems you're a regular here," Cristina said, observing the long-haired man. His hair was long enough for him to have a ponytail at the back of his head. He had a long face, with high cheekbones. He was a striking looking man. He wasn't what you called classically handsome but he had an interesting face.

"Yeah, I come here quite often," Tom said. "So they know me." The waitress brought their drinks for them, resting them on some napkins.

"Will that be all?" the waitress asked. Tom nodded. "Can't wait to hear you guys play," she said, as she left their table.

"Play? You're in the band? The Beachcombers?" Cristina asked, grinning. Tom laughed.

"Yup, that's us. I play bass in the band," Tom said. "I really wanted to let you see me on stage before I revealed my secret."

"Well, Cord did tell me that you were in a rock and roll band and you gave it up when you started a family," Cristina said. "He didn't tell me you had joined a new band."

"This is more of a hobby. When I was younger, that was a job. This is something I now do for fun," Tom said. "When I got divorced and moved out of the house, I started playing bass again and I found that I was enjoying it a lot. I went down to the music store and was fooling around in the bass guitar section. One of the guys from the band heard me play and invited me to join," Tom said. "And here I am, playing every Saturday night. The money's not much but we do it for the love of it. With what they pay us for this gig, none of us can give up our day jobs."

"That's so cool," Cristina said. "So what do you guys do otherwise?" She sipped on her beer. It was really good draft beer, she thought.

"William, the drummer, is a dentist. Lorne, the guitarist, is a pharmacist. The man on keyboards is Louie, who otherwise, is a manager at Target. Garrett, the guy on percussions, runs this joint. That's why we are always sure to have a place to play on Saturday night. Me, I work in graphics. I do a lot of advertising jobs," he said. "I am sorry but I have to leave you now. The guys are warming up." He drained the rest of his beer before he joined the rest of the band in warming up.

After about 15 minutes or so, the band began to play. Tom, it turned out was a lead singer, along with the drummer. The rest provided back-up vocals. As Cristina observed him playing his bass guitar, she remembered young Cord, saying that bass guitarists had a lot of soul. From the way he closed his eyes as he played, she could tell that Tom really felt the music. He did have a lot of soul. They played a 45-minute set and Cristina had to admit that they were actually quite good, especially for guys who played one night a week. She joined in the loud applause when the band was done.

Tom came back to their booth. He was clearly hot and sweaty from his session on the stage. "Sorry about all of this," he said, as he wiped the perspiration from his face and his neck. He called the waitress for another beer. "I will cool down in a bit."

"I can see clearly that you really get into it on the stage. So, it's fine," she said. "You guys are really good."

"Why, thank you, Cristina," Tom said. "I see you played the keyboards at the pageant and you have a great voice. We could use a female voice in the band, if you're interested." Cristina blushed.

"Oh, I am not that great," she said. "I am good enough for an elementary school concert."

"Don't sell yourself short, Cristina," he said. "I heard you sing and I couldn't keep my eyes off you." Cristina blushed, again.

"So are you hungry?" he said. "They make some wonderful burgers here."

"Yeah, I could do with something," she said. He ordered the burgers and they chatted, while they ate. It was turning out to be a very pleasant night.

When he dropped her off that night, he gave her a light kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Cristina. I will call you, soon."

"I had a great night, Tom. Thanks for inviting me out," she said, before opening her door and going inside. She had clearly underestimated how much she would have enjoyed that date.

* * *

Owen was busy choosing out his clothes for his date, tonight. He wanted it to be perfect. No, he needed it to be perfect. After all, he realized that he was competing with Cord's dad, Tom. He hoped she had a horrible date with Tom.

Griffin and Hayley came in the bedroom, as he was getting dressed for his date. They climbed up on his bed and watched their father in fascination. "So what do you think, kids?" he asked, as he pulled on his jacket. "Does your daddy look like the kind of guy Miss Yang would like to date?"

"Yes," Hayley said, solemnly. There was no man, who was as handsome as her daddy. "She will think you are the handsomest man in the world."

"Why, thank you, Hayley but I do think you may be a little bit biased," Owen said, as he put on his shoes and tightened his shoelaces. "By the way, where is your brother?"

"Christopher is in his room," Griffin said. "I went in there and he told me to go away."

"Hmm," Owen said. "I will check on him before I leave." He was worried about Christopher. Since after the pageant, Christopher had been in a blue funk. He only came down for his meals and went back to his room to play video games or surf on his computer. When he was at the table, he barely spoke. He just nodded and only answered when someone directly asked him a question.

Owen couldn't figure out what was wrong with his oldest son. It appeared like he was depressed but what could a 10-year-old be depressed about? He looked at his watch. He needed to get on his way to pick up Cristina. He kissed his younger children and told them to get to bed.

He stopped at Christopher's room and knocked. There was no answer, so he opened the door and poked his head inside. Christopher was lying on his bed, throwing a ball in the air.

"Hey, Christopher, I am going out, now," he said. "Why didn't you answer when I knocked?"

"I was concentrating on catching the ball," Christopher said. Owen could sense a note of defiance in Christopher's voice. What had gotten into this kid?

"That's no excuse for not answering me," Owen said. He was started to get a little agitated with Christopher. He didn't have the time to get into it, right now, since he was leaving. "Christopher, I don't know what is bothering you but you and I are going to have to talk about this. For two days, you've been moping around this house. This cannot continue, son. I am going out so I can't talk, now. But definitely, tomorrow, we are going to have a discussion."

Christopher scowled as soon as Owen said he was going out. He knew his dad was going to pick up Miss Yang on a date. That did not sit well with Christopher at all. Owen certainly noticed his son's expression.

"Yes, Christopher, we are going to have that talk," Owen said, disturbed by it all.

When he left the house, it was hard to put Christopher out of his mind. As he drove to Cristina's house, he tried to think about his date ahead. He had planned a date night at his favorite restaurant. It was a restaurant he had help build. It had a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean. He wanted it to be a great date – one that she would remember. And here he was, in this weird mood about Christopher. "Come on, Owen," he told himself. "Shake this off."

As he pulled up in front of Cristina's cottage, he was struck by the architecture. It was a classic beach cottage and seemed like the perfect dwelling for her. He knocked on the door. "Coming!" he heard her say. She opened the door and he was hit with a vision of loveliness. Her curly hair was all fluffed out over her bare shoulders. She wore a short, strapless dress in fuschia pink.

"You look gorgeous," he said. He stood for a moment to drink it all in.

"Thank you," she said. "You look rather spectacular, yourself." She wasn't lying. Owen Hunt cleaned up really well. His piercing blue eyes stood out against his pale skin and he wore that suit like a model. She smiled. Such a handsome man, she thought. She pulled a wrap over her shoulders and together, they headed out to his car.

He opened her car door and got her all settled in the passenger seat, before he got in on the other side.

"Your cottage is lovely," he said. "I own a construction company, so I tend to notice buildings."

"Thanks. It was my great aunt's. She left it for me. I needed a change of scenery from where I was before. So I made the decision to move to California from Philadelphia," she said.

"Ah, you're from Philly. That's a huge change," he said. "No skyscrapers in Laguna Beach."

"Well, personal circumstances help me make the decision," she said. It was too early to discuss past relationships and why they ended, she thought. Besides, that would be such a downer on a first date.

"Oh, okay," he said. "I am glad that you moved to the west coast. How do you like Laguna?"

"I love it here. It's a lot warmer than Philly," she said. "If I was in Philly, I would be all bundled up in sweaters, right now and trudging through snowy streets, right now, complaining about the cold."

They continued to chat about the charms of Laguna Beach, until they reached the restaurant. As they entered, the maitre'd greeted them. "Ah, Mr. Hunt, your table is ready. The one you asked for," he said.

"They know you here," Cristina said. "That's pretty nice."

"Well, that's because my company built the place," Owen said. The first thing that Cristina noticed was that the restaurant had a spectacular 180-degree view of the ocean.

"Wow, oh wow," she said, as they sat at their table, which had one of the best viewing angles of the ocean. But then again, almost every table had a wonderful view. She stared out at the ocean in amazement.

"Your company did the most stupendous job, building this restaurant," Cristina said. "Kudos to you. If I ever need anything built, I am coming to you guys."

"We will gladly accept your business," Owen said. He ordered a bottle of fine wine for their table, as well as he told her that she could order anything that she wanted off the menu.

"Can I order the lobster?" she asked, hopefully. She was famished and she was certain that she could finish off a lobster. For a small person, she had an excellent appetite.

"Sure," he said. "Anything you want. I think I will have the steak." So the waiter dutifully took down their orders and left them to their own conversation.

"Oh, by the way, I wanted to tell you that Christopher did wonderfully well this term," she said. "The report card is already in the mail but I can tell you that he got straight A's. I knew he was a bright kid but his previous report cards just indicated that he was above average. It seems that he put extra effort into it."

Owen suddenly felt a burst of pride. "All A's. Wow, he is really working towards that trip to Disney World for the summer. I promised him that if he brought up his grades, the family would go to Disney World. Also, I think his teacher had something to do with his extra effort. He has been very eager and happy to go to school, since you came."

"Really?" Cristina said. "I am so glad that I can inspire my students to do better. It is a teacher's dream."

"Um, I was wondering if you could help me out about Christopher. He has been in a very strange mood, since last Friday, after the pageant," Owen said. "Can you tell me if anything was brewing in the classroom?"

Cristina looked surprised. She hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary about Christopher. She was worried, though.

"Well, the only thing different that I can think of that happened after the pageant was that you asked me out," she said. "I hope that isn't the reason." Owen gasped.

"It may very well be," Owen said. "Maybe he doesn't want me dating you. Though I can't imagine why, you're beautiful and very, very nice." Cristina blushed.

"Thank you for saying so but maybe, Christopher harbors some underlying dislike for me," she said. It was hard to think that was possible.

"Never," Owen said. "That is just not plausible. He talks about you all of the time. Plus he put in all that extra effort in his schoolwork for you." Then, the thought dawned on him.

"Oh, my God," he said. "I think I know what it is. He has a crush on you." They looked at each other in total dismay.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. I do appreciate when you take the time to do so.**


	10. Chapter 10 Father-Son Talk

The realization that Christopher had a crush on Miss Yang was a little disheartening. Now, Owen understood what his son had been feeling and how it affected his whole attitude towards everybody, over the entire weekend.

"So what are we going to do?" Owen said. "I understand what Christopher is going through but this.." He gestured to the two of them. "I don't want to stop this because of Christopher. He has to comprehend the fact that you are a teacher in your twenties and he is a 10-year-old boy."

"Well, I guess you will have to talk to him," Cristina said. "Do you want me to talk to him, too?" Owen shook his head.

"I have to deal with this. He is upset with me," Owen replied. "He thinks that I just stole his girl. Well, as much as his girl as he thinks you are." He gave a brief smile. "Come on, let's have dinner. I don't want to ruin the night."

But, as much as he tried to enjoy himself, Owen found it difficult to not think about Christopher and his hurt feelings. He was quieter than he expected himself to be. He felt he wasn't making a good impression and he had so badly wanted to do so.

After they had their dinner, he decided to apologize. "I am sorry, Cristina. This is not how I imagined this date was going to be like. I don't seem to be very good company. I just can't stop thinking about Christopher and how much he is hurting."

"It's alright," she said, with a smile. "You're a dad and you think about your kids all of the time. I am around kids all day and I understand. Parents want the best for their kids. Their well-being is important to you."

"Thank you for being so understanding," he said. But still, he felt bad. They had their dessert and got up to leave. The live band at the restaurant struck up a tune, as they walked out. Owen looked wistfully at the dance floor. As they drove home, it was quiet in the car. Owen sighed.

"What?" she asked.

"It's just that I am so disappointed in myself," he said. "I wanted to see me as this dashing, charming young entrepreneur. The evening was supposed to end with some dancing at the restaurant. Instead, you got mopey me. "

"Don't be so hard on yourself," she said. "I had a good time. The food was delicious and the view was spectacular. I can tell you are really good at what you do. That restaurant you built is amazing. So I did get your entrepreneurship, too."

As he parked in front of her cottage, he asked. "What about the dashing and the charming? Did I fall down on those?"

She chuckled. "You are dashing and charming and no one can tell you any different." He got out of the car and opened her car door. They walked to her cottage door.

"Okay, can I get a do-over?" he asked. "Please. I still don't think I put my best foot forward. I would like to go another date with you." His eyes were so earnest, as he spoke. "I know I am competing against Cord's dad for your attentions. So, can you give me another chance?"

"Of course," she said. "You'll get a do-over if you want." He smiled happily.

"Is Wednesday good for you?" he said.

"Yup, it is the Christmas break," she said. "So it's fine; I have lots of free time. We can do this again."

"Thank you," he said. "I will pick you up at 6 p.m."

"Okay," she said. "That's fine." She reached up and kissed him on his cheek. "I will see you then." Then, she opened her door and went, inside.

As he walked back to his car, he touched his cheek, where her lips had been. Maybe, soon, their lips would be on each other's. But he was getting ahead of himself. There was something important that had to be done, first.

* * *

The next morning, everyone was at breakfast at the kitchen table. As was usual these days, Christopher was sullen and quietly ate his waffles. Owen looked at him. He had determined that he was going to have this discussion with Christopher, before he went to work.

"So how are you feeling, Christopher?" Owen asked his oldest son. Christopher looked up from his waffles and murmured.

"What is that you said, Christopher?" Owen asked. "I didn't quite hear you. Speak up."

Christopher rolled his eyes. "I said I am fine," the blonde boy answered. Owen noticed the eye-roll and chose to ignore it.

"I want to have a chat with you before I leave for work, this morning. I think it is very important, especially with the poor attitude you displayed all weekend," Owen said. "We are going to get to the bottom of this."

Christopher said nothing. Hayley and Griffin observed him with a little bit of trepidation for him. They felt sorry for their big brother. Obviously, he was in some kind of trouble. It was rare that their father used that tone of voice. This sounded serious. The two younger children finished up their breakfast, excused themselves from the table and hurriedly, went to their playroom.

"Now that we are alone, I would like you to tell me what has been bothering you," Owen said. "I think I have a fair idea. But in case, I am wrong, I would like you to explain yourself."

Christopher shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. He found it a little bit embarrassing to confess to his father that he loved his teacher, especially since his father had gone out with the same woman, the night before.

"Okay, so that's how it's going to be," Owen said. "So I guess I have no choice but to start." Christopher stared at his father.

"Well, I have worked out that you've been mad, since Friday night, when I asked Miss Yang on a date," Owen said. His son's eyes opened wide. How did his father know this?

Owen continued, "And the only reason, you're mad is that you have a crush on Miss Yang."

Christopher shot back, "It's not a crush. I love her. All during this term, Miss Yang and I have had a good thing going then you come along and ask her out on a date. She was all mine."

"Oh, Christopher," Owen said. "I am so sorry if I hurt you. I love you, son. You are very important to me. But you have to understand Miss Yang is a grown-up and she will only be interested in grown-up men."

"You mean like you?" Christopher sobbed. His eyes were full of tears. Owen went across to Christopher's side of the table and bent down to hug his son.

The little boy buried his face on his father's shoulder. "It hurts so bad," Christopher said. "I wanted her to wait for me until I grow up."

"I know, I know," Owen said. "But there are too many years between you and her. I don't think she would want to wait that long for you to grow up." Christopher wailed. Owen allowed his son to cry, until the sobs slowed.

"Now, listen to me, son," Owen said. "I like Miss Yang, too. I want to date her. I have been really lonely since your mom died. I want someone to share my life with. I want to be happy. If it works out for her and me, she will always be in our lives. Now, wouldn't that be a good thing?"

"You mean she could be my stepmom?" Christopher said.

"Well, maybe," Owen replied. "But that is way, way in the future. Miss Yang and I are only now getting to know each other. I am hoping that it works out but we never know with these things." Christopher wiped away his tears.

"I want you to be happy, dad," Christopher said. "I miss mom and I know you miss mom, too. If Miss Yang is going to make you happy, then I am okay with it. Hayley and Griffin will love her, just like I love her."

"Thank you, Christopher," Owen said. "I am glad that you feel that way."

"But what about Cord's dad?" Christopher said, remembering that his nemesis' dad had also asked Miss Yang out on a date. Owen groaned.

"Yes, I am aware of him," he replied. "I didn't quite have the date that I wanted with Miss Yang, last night. I was too worried about you and I guess I didn't make a great first impression."

"Oh, dad," Christopher said. "You are way better than Cord's dad. You just needed another chance."

"Well, thankfully, she is giving me another chance," Owen said. "We have another date on Wednesday. I think that's good because that means she likes me enough to give me a second date."

"Good," Christopher said. He put his arms around his dad for another hug.

Owen hugged his son, again. "I am glad that we had this talk, Christopher. You, Hayley and Griffin mean the world to me."

"We'll help you, dad. To win her over," Christopher said. "We will support you, all of the way."

"I am glad to hear that because you know what? I really would need you guys to help me out for that second date," Owen said.

"Okay, tell me what we can do," Christopher replied. The two Hunt men started to plan their strategy.

* * *

On Wednesday, Owen had called Cristina to tell her that she didn't need to dress up that night. She could just wear a sweater and jeans, if she wanted. Secretly, Cristina was pleased. Dressing up in a dress and heels required a lot of work, especially with the hair and the make-up. She wore a pair of dark blue jeans, a winter white cable-knit sweater and navy blue boots. She put on some light make-up and brushed out her curly hair. When she put down the brush, she heard the knock on the front door of the cottage.

She went to open the door. "Hey, Owen. You are here just in time," she said.

"You look pretty," Owen said, admiring her from top to toe. She thanked him, as she slipped on her jacket. They walked to his vehicle and were soon on their way.

"So where are we headed? Are we going bowling or something? Is that why we're casual?" she asked.

"No," he said, laughing. "Bowling? I haven't bowled in years." Then, he stopped laughing and asked with a worried look on his face, "You wanted to go bowling?"

She guffawed. "Do I seriously look like I am the bowling type? I throw so many gutter balls that my family always laugh at me. Plus I have almost gone down the lane with my bowling ball, not once but three times. So, no, I don't want to go bowling."

"Oh, good," Owen said, chuckling. "We are not going bowling." He mocked-wiped his brow to express his relief.

They chatted until they came up to a beautiful house on the hill with a massive patio that faced the Pacific Ocean. "Wow, what is this place?" she asked.

"This is my humble abode," he said. "I designed it and built it. I saw this site and I bought it. Then, I started building. We finished it about five years ago. The patio was designed for entertainment purposes in mind."

"You've brought me to your house?" she said, as he helped her out of the car.

"Yes," he said. "I could have taken you to another fancy restaurant like I did on Sunday. But somehow, that didn't feel right. I wanted you to see me for what I really am. I am a dad. I have three children, whom I love very much. They are a big part of my life. I usually don't introduce my children so early to my dates but since you already know them from school, it's not like they're going to be a surprise for you. So I am bringing you to a family dinner. My children have promised to be on their best behavior and not drive you away."

"What about Christopher?" she asked.

"You'll see," he replied, as he opened the door and let her in. "Kids, I am home!"

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. I do appreciate reading them. **


	11. Chapter 11 Family Date

Suddenly, there was a thunderous pattering of feet from all corners of the house. Christopher lined up his brother and sister in a line facing his dad and Cristina. They then unfurled a sign that said, "Welcome, Miss Yang." It was clear to Cristina that they had taken a lot of time and effort to do that. Each letter was a different color and of course, there was the inevitable glitter on the sign. That obviously had to be the influence of the only female in the family – Hayley.

"Thank you so much for welcoming me to your home," Cristina said. She looked around. The house was very comfortable with furnishings that were tailored for a man with three young children. With different furnishings, it could have been very sophisticated, given the views from the living room windows. But she liked this – it was very homey and comfortable. The place was also dressed up for the festive season. There were garlands and lights all around with small Christmas ornaments all around. Taking center stage was the large Christmas tree on one side of the fireplace. The stockings were all up on the fireplace mantel. There were five large stockings with the names of everyone – Owen, Christopher, Hayley, Griffin and Molly. There was a smaller stocking with the name of Stella on it. Cristina remembered that Stella was the Welsh corgi that the family owned. Cristina thought it was cute that they thought about the dog in that way.

"You have a lovely home, Owen," Cristina said. "It must be wonderful with all of the great views."

"When I built the house, I did it to make sure that every single room had a great view," he said. "It took some doing but I managed it. Would you like a tour of the place before dinner?"

"Yes, I would, thank you," she said.

"Good, Christopher and his brother and sister have volunteered to take you around," Owen said. The choice of having the children take her around was deliberate. He wanted her to get to know them better. Of course, she already knew Christopher but she only had a passing knowledge of Hayley and Griffin.

"Thank you very much, Christopher, Hayley and Griffin," Cristina said. The children smiled at her. Griffin slipped his small hand into hers, while Christopher and Hayley took charge of the tour. As they took her around, it was clear that Christopher and Hayley had practiced what they were going to say to her but she wished that it wasn't so well-rehearsed. She started asking questions, so they could tell her little stories about the place. She saw a picture of a woman with light brown hair and blue eyes that was in the hallway.

"Is that your mother?" she asked. The two older children looked at each other. They were not prepared to chat about their mother.

"Yes," Griffin answered. "That's our mother. She died when I was four. Her name was Emmalyn."

"She's very pretty," Cristina said. "I am sure she was a wonderful mom."

"Yes," Christopher agreed. "Mom was great. She used to read stories to us every night and always made sure we had cookies and milk, whenever we came home from school. She was the best cook in the whole world."

"She used to sing around the house, too," Hayley said. "She loved to sing every day."

"Ah, she sounds really great," Cristina said. "Is there anywhere else you would like to show me?"

"Yes, yes," Griffin said, as he led her to the large outdoor entertainment area with a bar, an outdoor kitchen and a firepit. It was like living quarters on the outside. The view was magnificent from there. Cristina stared in awe at the ocean. This was so inspiring. She had a great view from her cottage but it was nothing like this. She totally understood why Owen and his wife wanted to live here.

Cristina and the three children continued to stare out at the ocean in silence. Owen, who had been waiting for them in the dining room, came out to look for them.

"What's up, guys?" Owen said. "I thought you would have got back to the dining room by now."

"Oh, don't blame them, Owen," she said. "They were just showing me the outdoor space and I was just captivated by the view. It's really the most beautiful spot in Laguna Beach. I can look at this, forever."

Owen stood next to her and everyone continued to stare out at the ocean. Five minutes had passed before Griffin said, "I am hungry." They all laughed.

"Well, I guess we better go back inside," Owen said. "Molly has already laid out the table." They all trooped back inside the house. Griffin led the way to the dining room. The table was high and square. Eight people could sit comfortably at the table, with two people on each side of the square. Cristina and Owen sat on one side, while a child sat on each of the other three sides.

Griffin noted that there were three extra spaces on the table. "That's for more kids," he said, without even thinking about how that would affect his father. Owen was a little embarrassed by that comment but he tried to brush it off. He couldn't have Cristina thinking that his children were having designs on her uterus and its potential baby-making power.

He laughed, nervously. "Griffin, there are enough kids in this house, for the moment." Cristina smiled at him and squeezed his hand under the table.

"Well, Cristina, I am so glad that you could join us for dinner. We were all very excited that you could come," he said. "So let's start. Let me tell you, Cristina, that Molly is a fantastic cook."

"I am very pleased to be here," Cristina said. "And I can't wait to try Molly's cooking." As everyone dug into the food, the evening dissolved into a night of hearty eating and lively conversation. The children spoke about all of the favorite things they liked to do. Cristina also told them about her life in Philadelphia before she moved to Laguna Beach. She, of course, left out the part about her cheating boyfriend. There was no need for them to hear that.

Owen loved that she was getting along so well with the children. He hadn't really expected anything different. After all, she was a teacher, who got along well with kids. Even though he knew that Christopher already had good feelings about Cristina, he was glad that his other children did, too. They all fought for her attention and she readily gave it to each and every child, making sure that they were all heard.

Owen suggested that they all have it on the outdoor patio. There was a slight chill in the air, so Owen offered Cristina one of his cardigans. It swallowed her up but it was nice and warm. Owen lit the firepit and he and Cristina had their coffee and dessert on the patio chairs, while the children ran around the place.

After he finished his dessert, Owen had an idea. "I am going to put on some music. It's wired with outdoor speakers. Maybe the kids can dance and we can all warm up." He took back their plates and their cups and within minutes, music blared through the speakers. It was as if on cue, the children started dancing, wildly. Christopher took Cristina's hand and dragged her out of her chair.

"Come on, Miss Yang, let's dance," he said. Cristina just let her body go with the music and dancing, just as crazily as the kids. When Owen came back, he was ecstatic to see her dancing with all of the children dancing around her, too. It was a heart-warming scene. He took out his phone and took their picture. Then, he joined them in the dancing, too. After half an hour, Molly collected the children to put them to bed, leaving Owen and Cristina out on the patio, by themselves. The children said goodnight and disappeared into the house.

The song suddenly changed and it was a slow song, more readily danced by two people. He put out his hand and took her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he put his hands on her back, around her tiny waist. As they danced, she rested her head on his shoulder. When the music changed into another slow song, they just continued dancing. They were so wrapped up into each other, they didn't know that they had an audience of three, watching them from Christopher's bedroom window.

"I think it is going well," Hayley said. "Look they're dancing and hugging each other up." Griffin nodded in total agreement.

"Hmmm," Christopher said. Things did look like they were going well but he had seen Cord's dad with his long hair and his fast car. He knew that girls liked bad boys. Even at 10, he knew that. That's because a lot of girls were crazy about Cord, the bad boy in their class. His father was just the same way. But then again, he thought, Miss Yang was a woman with a sensible head on her shoulders. Surely, she would not be swayed by Cord's dad's bad boy charm. He hoped she could see that his dad was the better choice for her.

"We have to stop watching them," Christopher said. "It's kinda not nice." He closed his window blinds and shooed his little brother and sister away. They left and went to their own bedrooms. He knelt down on the side of his bed and started to pray.

"Dear God," he started. "My dad really, really likes Miss Yang. I want her to like him back, at least like him more than Cord's dad. I know Cord's dad is the kinda guy all of the girls like but my dad is great, too. He is funny, kind and generous. He makes sure that we never want for anything. She won't want for anything, too." He stopped and thought for a bit.

"Please bless everyone – Dad, Hayley, Griffin, Molly and Miss Yang. Please also bless my mom. Tell her that Dad is lonely and needs a companion. Tell her that even though we want Miss Yang in our lives, we don't ever forget her. Thank you for everything, God. Amen." He crawled into bed and switched off the lamp next to his bed.

When the song suddenly changed into a fast piece of music, Owen and Cristina let go of each other. It felt so sudden that their bodies did not touch, anymore. "Well, that broke us out of it," Owen said.

Cristina smiled. "Yes, it did. I think I should be headed back home, now," she said, looking at her watch. "It is getting late."

"Okay," Owen reluctantly said. He doused the fire pit and then, they went back into the house, where he switched off the music. She was about to take off his cardigan, when he said she should keep it on, so she won't get chilly walking to the car. It was a quiet drive back to her house. They were just enjoying being with each other.

When they got to her cottage, he walked her to her door. "See," he said. "You got dinner and dancing like I had originally wanted."

"Yes, I did," she said. There was an awkward silence. He wanted to kiss her but wondered if she would allow him to do it.

"Well, I am waiting. Aren't you going to kiss me?" she said, with a sly smile on her face.

"I was thinking about it," he said. He leaned over and caught her lips, kissing her gently at first and then ardently, as he pressed her against her front door. She was breathless, when they finally separated.

"Good night," he said, as she entered her cottage. She smiled before she closed the door. She slid down the door and hugged herself. Her heart was now calming down, after beating so fast, when he kissed her.

As for Owen, he drove away with a song in his heart. He had the biggest smile on his face. When he got home, everyone had already gone to sleep. He switched off the lights and checked on his children. Griffin had kicked off his blanket, so Owen covered him back. Hayley had forgotten the lamp on in her room, so he switched that off. He then went to Christopher's room. He heard the boy moving around in his bed.

"Christopher, are you still awake?" he asked.

"Um, yeah, dad," the boy said. "Just coming back from dropping off Miss Yang?"

"Yes," Owen said. "I just dropped her off." He went and sat on the edge of Christopher's bed.

"Do you think we did it?" Christopher asked.

"Did what?" Owen asked.

"Well, make her choose us instead of Cord and his dad," Christopher said. "We behaved the best way we could."

"Yes, you guys did your part and I am very grateful," Owen said. "As for her choosing us, she did give me a kiss." Christopher grinned.

"On the lips?" Christopher asked.

"Yes, on the lips," Owen confirmed.

"Woohoo!" Christopher said, giving his father a high-five. "Yes, take that, Cord's dad!" Owen laughed. He gave Christopher a kiss on his forehead.

"Good night, son," Owen said, as he got up and left the room.

"Yes, thank you, God," Christopher said. He felt his prayers had been answered.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. Thank you very much. I do appreciate them. **


	12. Chapter 12 The Holidays

Owen took Molly and the kids to the mall to buy Christmas presents for each other and Molly. He gave each of the children spending money for their presents. Owen went off on his own to buy everyone presents. His business clientele had already been taken care of by a personal shopper, so it was just for his family and Cristina.

He had already asked Molly what she wanted and he got it for her online. The children were easy to shop for. Christopher wanted an iPad, so Owen bought him the latest version at the Apple store. Griffin wanted video games, so Owen bought those for him. Hayley wanted her own private one-room girl-size cabin, so he was building that in the backyard. As the only girl, she wanted some place where she and her friends could have tea-parties and giggle, without the boys making fun of them. The workers at his company had already started building it. As she had explained it to him, it would be like a tree-house but on the ground. She had been very solemn, when she explained to him what she wanted.

As for Cristina, he wasn't sure what he was going to buy. He went into a lingerie shop but was overwhelmed by how heavily scented the store seemed. Plus the array of bras and panties had him totally confused. The sales lady was very aggressive and he backed out there, quickly enough. Still, it was too early in the relationship to consider buying lingerie, he reasoned. After all, they had only been on one couple date and one family date.

Then, he went into an electronic gadgets store but he realized he was more there for himself than for her. Then, he went to the jewelry store. Women always loved jewelry, he thought. The last time he had bought jewelry for anybody was for his wife. He wasn't sure what to buy. The customer representative, a young man, came up to him.

"How can I help you, sir?" the young man said. "I am Phil. I can help you with whatever you need."

"I want to buy something for a young woman," Owen said. "She is a teacher. Actually my son's teacher."

"Ah, so you want something for your son's teacher," the young man said. "How about a sterling silver bracelet?"

"Um, no," Owen said. "That would be a little on the low side in terms of the price range I am considering. I am actually dating her." The young man's eyes lit up like the lights on the Christmas tree behind him. He could sense a big commission.

"Oh," the young man said. "What about a lovely diamond tennis bracelet?"

"Um, I think that would be a little too much now," Owen said. The light faded in the young man's eyes as he saw his big commission flying away. Owen added, quickly, "Not that I can't afford to buy it but I mean it would be a little too much in this stage of our relationship. Officially, we've only been on one date and a family date, too. But it's Christmas and I really like this woman, so I have to get her a present."

"I guess diamonds are a bit much in this early stage of the relationship," Phil said. He looked around the store. "What about a less costly gemstone? We can go with garnets, aquamarines, topaz. Maybe a ruby or even pearls."

"Ooh, I like pearls," Owen said. "Pearls convey classic sophistication."

"Ah yes," Phil said. "Pearls would be good. Pearl earrings or a string of pearls," Phil said. "Or maybe both." His eyes lit up again.

"I think I will go with a string of pearls," Owen said. He was then shown necklaces of pearls in various lengths and colors, before deciding on a necklace with a double strand of pearls.

"Excellent choice," Phil said. "I will have this wrapped for you, immediately. Is there anything else?"

"Okay, just throw in a matching pair of earrings," Owen said, finally as he mulled it over in his mind.

"Excellent," Phil said. "I will have that wrapped for you." As Owen paid for the purchases, he felt it was a good gift. He hoped she would appreciate them. He had spent more than he thought he would spend. Somehow, he felt she was worth it.

He met with Molly and the children at the food court. They were all laden with shopping bags, as was he. "So have we all got everything that we wanted to buy?" he asked.

"Yup, yup, yup," Griffin said. "We even bought wrapping paper. Molly said she would help us wrap the presents."

"Thank you, Molly," Owen said. "You are such a gem." Molly blushed. It was always sweet to get a compliment from her handsome boss. Plus he always gave her a great bonus at the end of the year.

"So are you done, Mr. Hunt, with all of your shopping?" she asked.

"I certainly am," Owen said. "All done. Good thing, too, because this mall is starting to get crowded. It was a wise idea to come early."

"Mr. Hunt, are you going to invite Miss Yang for Christmas Eve dinner?" Molly asked. "I want to know if I need to put out an extra setting before I leave for the holidays." Molly always took Christmas to New Year's Day off every year.

"Um, I hadn't thought about it," Owen said. "Yes, I will ask her." He smiled. "Such a good idea, Molly."

After they had lunch at the mall, the Hunts and Molly went back home. Owen went to the quiet of his bedroom to make his call. He hadn't really spoken to her since their family date, a couple of days ago. He was very busy at the office, tying up loose ends, since the company shut its doors for the holidays. After three rings, she answered.

"Hey," he said. "How are you?"

"Hey, yourself," she replied. "I am doing great."

"Sorry I haven't called since the last time we met," he said. "But I was extremely busy at the office. Year end is always a hassle, trying to get all accounts settled."

"Oh, that's okay," she said. "I know how it is. It's like us at the end of a term, always hustling to get things done. So how is everyone?"

"We're doing fine. We just did our Christmas shopping," Owen said. "We got out of there, just in time. The hordes were starting to come in."

"Ah, that's good," she said.

"Um, I was wondering whether you would like to come over for Christmas Eve dinner," Owen asked. "It will just be the kids and me."

"Oh, I am sorry; I won't be able to make that," she told him. "I am in Philly with the folks." He was disappointed but he hoped that it wasn't going to show in his voice.

"That's a pity," he said. "But I am sure you are going to have a great time with your family," he told her. He wondered why she hadn't told him that she was leaving to go back to visit her folks. But he reminded himself that they were not a couple.

"So how long will you be gone?" he asked.

"Well, I am staying until the new year," she told him. "I will be back just before school starts." That meant he would not see her again for the entire holiday season. When would he give her his present?

"I have a present for you," he said. "I guess I will give it to you when school starts."

"A present? For me?" she said. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to," he replied.

"Well, thank you in advance," she said. "I am sure I am going to love it."

"I guess I better go, now," he said. "Happy holidays! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Kwanzaa."

"Yes," she laughed. "Yes, all that to you and the kids. So I will see you soon."

"Yes," he said. "Goodbye." As he hung up the phone, he felt strangely empty. He had been looking forward to having Christmas Eve dinner with her and giving her his present. He had wanted to see her face, when she opened it.

It was a quiet holiday for the Hunts. They did have Christmas Eve dinner at home and the next day, they drove to his parents' house for Christmas. They spent New Year's Eve and New Year's Day with Emmalyn's parents. He was actually looking forward to the opening of school because he knew that was when Cristina would be back.

* * *

It was the first day of school. The Hunt children were very excited to see their friends after the Christmas break. In Christopher's class, Miss Yang had everyone say what they did for their break. It was a lovely first day. Christopher knew that his dad was coming with Miss Yang's present after school. His father had told him what it was and he hoped that she would flip when she saw it.

After school, he, Hayley and Griffin were waiting outside of the school building for their dad. There were lots of parents around picking up their kids. It was usually a long and slow process, as a car would pull up and a kid would get in. Owen was already on his way but he got caught behind a traffic accident and was a little later than usual.

Cristina had come out of the building to stretch her legs. She was headed home, as soon as all of the kids were gone. She waved at the Hunt children. Just then, a flashy car pulled up. Christopher knew whose car that was. That was Cord's dad, Tom. As Cord headed to his dad's car, his father suddenly got out with a bunch of roses.

"Hey, Cristina, good to see you out here. I thought I would have to go into the school to find you," Tom said. "Since I didn't see you for the holidays, I thought I would bring you some roses to brighten your day." As he handed her the roses, he kissed her on the cheek.

"Why thank you, Tom. I trust that you and Cord had a wonderful break, together," she said.

"Yes," he said. "It was good. Cord and I headed to Mexico for a bit. Took in some sun."

"You look well," she said. Christopher observed this conversation with a bit of horror. Where the heck was his dad? He should get here soon, he thought, or else Cord's dad would get all of Miss Yang's attention.

Owen was in a traffic jam, re-considering whether to give her the double-strand of pearls. Was it too flashy? Was it too much? He wasn't sure what to do anymore. Would it seem like he was coming on too strong? He was worried. Maybe he should just give her the pearl earrings. Then, his phone rang. It was Christopher.

"Dad, you better get here soon," Christopher said, an anxious tone was evident in his voice.

"Why? What happened? Did one of you get sick or injured?" Owen asked, alarmed by the one in his son's voice.

"No, no. Cord's dad is here and he brought Miss Yang a bunch of red roses," Christopher said. "They're talking right in front of me, Dad. You better get here quick."

"Really?" Owen said. There was no way he was going to get around this traffic. He pulled off on to a side road and took a longer route to the school. By the time he got there, many of the children had left. He saw his three children, still waiting. Christopher gestured with his head to show him that Miss Yang was still chatting with Tom.

Owen reached into the back seat and pulled out the present for her. He got out of his vehicle and told his children to get into the vehicle. They did so but all eyes were on their father as he approached Cristina and Tom.

"Hello, Cristina," Owen said, smoothly.

"Oh, hi, Owen," she said with a smile on her face. The two men observed each other with distaste.

* * *

**A/N Please leave your thoughts and comments. I do appreciate them very much. It gives me the incentive to continue my stories.  
**


End file.
